Ncaa Approves Extra Year Of Eligibility To Spring Sport Athletes Who Lost Seasons To The Coronavirus

Click here for the latest coronavirus news, which the BDN has made free for the public. You can support this mission by purchasing a digital subscription. The NCAA will permit Division I spring-sport athletes — such as baseball, softball and lacrosse players — who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus pandemic to have an additional year of eligibility. The NCAA Division I Council voted Monday to give spring-sport athletes, regardless of their year in school, a way to get back the season they lost, but it did not guarantee financial aid to the current crop of seniors if they return to play next year. [Our COVID-19 tracker contains the most recent information on Maine cases by county] Winter sports, such as basketball and hockey, were not included in the decision because many athletes in those sports had completed all or most of their regular seasons, the council decided. The council is made up of college sports administrators representing all 32 D-I conferences, plus two members of the student-athlete advisory committee.