NCAA Board of Directors adopts waiver for all fall sport athletes

The NCAA Board of Governors approved a waiver for an extra year of eligibility for all fall sport athletes on Friday.

Earlier this week the NCAA Division I Council recommended a waiver for all fall sport athletes that would provide an additional year of eligibility whether they competed in fall sports or not. We expected the NCAA’s Board of Directors to approve the motion, and that’s exactly what happened on Friday.

This is good news for all athletes that are participating. Not only does it mean that guys playing for any team not playing in the fall won’t lose a year, but it potentially also allows for an extra year for a kid playing in on a team that starts, and even finishes a fall season.

The ruling also means colleges and universities can make available the student aid and insurance for those that want the extra year. Programs cannot punish those by withholding aid to those that don’t feel safe enough to compete during COVID-19 either.

Now, this is a step in the right direction but there’s still a slew of questions that need to be answered like scholarship limits, signing periods, transfers, and other things.

Hopefully, some more answers come sooner rather than later so teams can know what they are dealing with.