NCAA Board Of Directors Approves Fall Sports Athletes Keeping Year Of Eligibility
Aug 21, 2020, 2:01 PM | Updated: 2:15 pm
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 01: A general view of the stadium as the sun sets as the Oregon Ducks play the Wisconsin Badgers during the fourth quarter in the Rose Bowl game presented by Northwestern Mutual at Rose Bowl on January 01, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Michael Heiman/2020 Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Heiman/2020 Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NCAA Board of Directors have approved the blanket waiver saying that fall sports athletes can keep their year of eligibility no matter when they play their season.
Acting Chair of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors Denise Trauth who is the President of Texas State released the following statement.
“We want to provide opportunities for student-athletes whenever possible,” Trauth said. “We understand it will be complicated and different, and we’re not certain how it will look, but we believe it’s important to try to give students that championship experience.”
Division I Board of Directors determines the division will work toward hosting fall championships in the spring: https://t.co/2ECu90EmFO pic.twitter.com/YRark5GcAs
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) August 21, 2020
Two Power-5 conferences including the Big Ten and the Pac-12 have postponed all fall sports competitions. The Pac-12 has postponed competition until at least January 1, 2021.
The SEC, ACC and Big 12 are still moving forward with having a football season in the fall with a tweaked schedule. Most conferences on the west coast have also postponed fall sports competitions.
The NCAA Board of Directors also adopted the DI Council-recommended protections for college athletes.
Eligibility
“All fall sport student-athletes will receive both an additional year of eligibility and an additional year in which to complete it,” the statement read. “Student-Athletes who do not enroll full time during the 2020 fall term have flexibility in the progress-toward-degree requirements that must be met for eligibility in future terms.”
The board also adopted the DI Council-recommended protections for college athletes: https://t.co/2ECu90EmFO pic.twitter.com/wyrGp16EJq
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) August 21, 2020
Financial Aid
“Schools are prohibited from canceling or reducing athletics scholarships if a college athlete in any sport opts not to participate due to COVID-19,” the statement read. “The financial aid of fall sports senior student-athletes who take advantage of the additional year of eligibility and extended clock will not count against team limits in 2021-22.”
Notification
Schools are required to:
- Review current insurance coverage for all student-athletes who are competing this fall.
- Inform student-athletes about the risk classification of their sport as outlined in the resocialization of collegiate sport document.
- Inform student-athletes how the mandates in the resocialization of collegiate sport document are being met at their campus.
Participation
“Schools are prohibited from requiring student-athletes to waive legal rights regarding COVID-19 as a condition of athletics participation,” the statement read.
Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.
