SEC to Protect Scholarships of Athletes Who Chose Not to Participate Due to COVID-19

Following a unanimous vote from university chancellors and presidents, the SEC announced on Friday afternoon that the conference would honor all scholarships to student-athletes this fall even if they decided not to participate in their sport.

Following a unanimous vote from university chancellors and presidents, the SEC announced on Friday afternoon that the conference would honor all scholarships to student-athletes this fall even if they decide not to participate in their sport. The new policy comes as part of the SEC’s response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, and was passed in hopes of giving athletes the opportunity to retain their academic education without having to compromise their health and safety.

“SEC universities are committed to full support of its student-athletes, whether or not a student-athlete decides to participate in sports during these uncertain times,” wrote SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey in an official statement. “SEC student-athletes have frequently expressed their desire to compete, but it is important for student-athletes and their families to know the financial support committed to them by their institutions will not be at risk because of health concerns presented by the current pandemic.”

The SEC’s new policy will only affect fall athletics, but the conference also announced that it would continue to monitor the pandemic to see whether it would warrant an extension into the spring. It is also worth noting that while the athletes’ financial support in receiving their education is fully protected, their year of athletic eligibility is not, as both the SEC and NCAA have been silent on how sitting out the season would affect the future of players’ career on the field.

Tennessee has not had any players announce that they will sit out from their sport this season due to the ongoing pandemic, but they have seen a bit of trouble with containing the Coronavirus throughout multiple of its athletic programs. According to multiple recent reports, the University has seen a moderate increase in COVID-19 cases after testing all student-athletes on its campus following the 4th of July.

Tennessee’s season is currently set to begin on September 5th, when the Charlotte 49ers head west to Knoxville in hopes of battling the Vols. The SEC has currently not made a public decision regarding its plans for the upcoming College Football season, but the conference is under a multitude of pressure after the Big Ten and PAC-12 announced that they would cancel all non-conference games due to the pandemic.