SI Takes a Look at the Complex Issue of Giving Spring Athletes Extra Eligibility

While the move is great for the seniors, it will put a strain on resources for many schools

SI took a look at the complex issue of granting spring athletes an extra year of eligibility. Here's a sample. 

"The NCAA has left the front porch light on for Class of 2020 spring sports athletes. The runners, jumpers, softball players, baseball players and others who had their college careers cut short earlier in March can come back to school for another year.

Winter sports athletes? Not so much. Unfortunate as it is, that was always a long shot.

The spring sports that were canceled just as seasons had begun were the more obvious casualty. Three centuries ago in mid-March, when the decisions were made to terminate those seasons, it seemed too early to call off the mid-June College World Series. By the end of March, that decision isn’t questioned by anyone.

So, yes, this is an appropriate gesture, and let’s take a moment to acknowledge that. The NCAA and its member schools, so often derided for allegedly treating student-athletes as chattel, took care of the ones most affected by this extraordinary crisis. The vast majority of these athletes are not going to make a dime for their schools, but the schools are going to re-invest in them.

At the same time, this new legislation is not easily transferrable from the Division I Council vote Monday to on-campus reality. Financing more scholarships is a huge consideration. Rosters could be bloated, with a correlated impact on playing time and concerns about exceeding roster limits. The nuts and bolts of larger teams—locker room space, medical staffing, training table allotments and campus housing assignments—all must be factored in."

When it comes to monetary resources, Texas is firmly in the group of the "haves" on this issue. The only college with its own network the Longhorns haven't been hurting for cash for quite some time. 

There's still some uncertainty, however. For as well off as the program is right now, a year without football gate revenue, which could be a possibility if social distancing measures continue through the fall, or possibly no football revenue at all, could complicate this matter and put Texas into a tough situation regarding spring sports athletes. 

It's a complex issue and the story does a good job diving deep into it. You can check out the rest of the story by clicking here.