Video: Wisconsin not allowing seniors to return in 2021; will others follow suit
March 12 was a very difficult day for college athletes throughout the nation.
It was on that fateful day that the NCAA — for good reason — canceled the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, as well as all other winter and spring sport championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities," the NCAA said in its statement.
What that meant is that NCAA seniors throughout the nation had their final seasons ended in the blink of an eye. There would be no conference games, no senior nights to honor their achievements, and almost worst of all, no chance to play for any championships.
But then on March 30, the NCAA did something it rarely does and actually put the athletes first. The NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee voted that Monday to grant spring athletes an extra year of eligibility — winter sports/athletes were not included.
But the University of Wisconsin has other plans for its senior athletes. According to an athletic department statement on April 9 to the Wisconsin State Journal's Todd Milewski, and reiterated by athletic director Barry Alvarez later on his monthly radio show on WIBA-AM, Wisconsin will not allow its seniors to return next year.
"What we tried to do was encourage our seniors to go ahead and, if you're going to graduate, graduate and move on with your life," Alvarez said. "We appreciate everything that you've done. But move forward. The future is in question, and we can't promise you anything."
According to Alvarez, he believes that the NCAA overreacted in restoring a year of eligibility to spring sports athletes amid the global health crisis.
It's believed that Wisconsin is the first Division I college to publicly say that its spring sprit athletes are not welcome to return, but more could follow suit. The Ivy League did not approve of the one-time exception, which could be just the first domino to fall in colleges not allowing its spring sport athletes to return.
Luckily for athletes at the University of Utah, that is not the case.
“I am pleased for all our spring student-athletes who have been granted their year of eligibility back," said Mark Harlan, Utah’s Director of Athletics. "Tonight those I most think of are our seniors. They have been terrific leaders of their respective teams since before the cancellation, and even more so during this period of uncertainty."
“I am grateful they get to decide to rejoin their teams next year and whatever that choice might be they will always be a historical group who handled adversity with such grace. I also recognize that for our winter sports student-athletes who did not complete their season, today’s decision was another moment of finality to their collegiate careers. They, too, have shown amazing leadership and maturity that will forever be remembered by Utah athletics and our loyal fans.”