NCAA grants extra-year of eligibility to all spring-sport athletes
Monday, March 30 was a big day for all Utah spring-sport athletes.
The NCAA Division I Council voted and approved to allow all spring-sport athletes an extra year of eligibility. This approval comes on the heels of the spring-sports season being cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has swept across the world.
One of the biggest takeaways through this decision was the NCAA giving back this lost year of eligibility to all athletes, not just seniors. It was widely expected that just seniors were going to be granted this gift but the NCAA went a step further but giving it to everyone.
The NCAA has left it at the discretion of the Universities and Colleges on whether or not to grant the seniors returning less or equal financial aid than to what they were already receiving.
“The Council’s decision gives individual schools the flexibility to make decisions at a campus level,” said Division I Council chair M. Grace Calhoun. “The Board of Governors encouraged conferences and schools to take action in the best interest of student-athletes and their communities, and now schools have the opportunity to do that.”
This waiver will include athletes in the following sports: baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, men’s volleyball, beach volleyball, outdoor track and field, rowing and women’s water polo.
However, the waiver does not include gymnastics and men's and women's basketball — sports that had the end of their seasons (NCAA Championships) cut short.