Fresno State student athletes in spring programs are receiving another year of eligibility.
The NCAA Division I Council announced today that they approved a measure to allow an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility for spring-sport student athletes.
DI Council grants waiver to allow additional eligibility for spring sport athletes whose seasons were impacted by COVID-19: https://t.co/v1zriEBDvR pic.twitter.com/g9BbOkmnt0
— NCAA (@NCAA) March 30, 2020
“The Council’s decision gives individual schools the flexibility to make decisions at a campus level,” Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Penn said. “The Board of Governors encouraged conferences and schools to take action in the best interest of student-athletes and their communities, and now schools have the opportunity to do that.”
All student athletes in spring sports, including seniors, will be able to apply a one-year extension of eligibility, extending each student’s five-year clock by a year.
On Thursday, the NCAA Board of Governors announced they would distribute $225 million to Division schools in order to support college athletes. Schools can use this fund to pay for scholarships for students who take advantage of the additional eligibility flexibility in 2020-21.
Fresno State student athletes in spring and winter sports had their season cut short as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fresno State men’s and women’s golf, equestrian, women’s lacrosse, women’s basketball, wrestling, women’s swimming and diving, baseball, track and field, softball and women’s and men’s tennis were all affected by the cancelation.
The NCAA ruled, however, that student athletes who competed in winter sports won’t get an extra year of eligibility because many teams had already completed their seasons.
Still, several seniors in spring programs will have their playing careers extended.
The Fresno State baseball team has two seniors currently on their roster, and the NCAA announced that the roster limit would be increased in baseball for student-athletes.
CLARIFICATION: Spoke with the @NCAA ”” the roster limit is essentially scrapped for the 2021 season. Any senior who returns will NOT count against your 35/27 roster limits in college baseball. There’s no ‘set’ number. Just applies to returning seniors.
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) March 30, 2020
The women’s tennis team has one senior on their roster.
The women’s lacrosse team and track and field have eight seniors on their rosters, respectively.
The men’s tennis team currently has five seniors, and the women’s tennis team has one.
Seven of the 29 members of the women’s swimming and diving team are seniors.
Six of the 23 members of the nationally-ranked softball team are seniors.
Three of the eight members of the women’s golf team are seniors.