Friday afternoon the NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee voted to grant an extra year of eligibility to all Fall athletes. Back in March the NCAA shut down the mens and womens D1 basketball tournaments, along with the rest of winter and spring sports, due to the concerns of COVID-19 spreading throughout the country.
This offer was not extended to athletes participating in winter sports (basketball, wrestling, hockey, etc). The NCAA also said they would try to stage fall championship events, at a scaled down version, as long as the pandemic continues to be controlled.
“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.” -Denise Trauth (President of Texas State)
Timanus, E. (2020, August 21). NCAA clears way for fall championships in spring and approves extra year of eligibility for fall athletes. Retrieved August 22, 2020, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2020/08/21/ncaa-fall-championships-extra-year-athlete-eligibility-approved/3412645001/
This is essentially providing a redshirt for all athletes this year, which will hopefully increase the likelihood of them playing this season if they are comfortable with the safety measures provided. Many big names have already opted out this year, and it will likely continue for the bigger names that are projected top picks, but fringe players now have a free season to show out their talents.
