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On Wednesday, the NCAA voted to make a change for fall sport athletes this year that would allow athletes to play without losing their eligibility. The decision comes after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposal is in place to act as a backup for a situation where fall sports seasons can’t be completed. The NCAA Division I Council’s vote to accept the changes has to be approved by the NCAA Board of Governors, whose vote is on Friday.
Sources: The NCAA Division I Council decided today that fall sport student-athletes can compete in any amount of competitions this year and it will not count as a season of eligibility. This still needs to be approved by NCAA Board of Governors on Friday.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 19, 2020
The proposal includes an exemption from the active senior student athletes when it comes to a 2021 scholarship limit for fall sports, meaning they will not count towards programs scholarship limits.
The exemption is identical to spring athletes, who received a year of eligibility back after COVID-19 shortened spring sports earlier this year.
The NCAA is looking at changes that will also benefit the Big Ten and Pac-12, who postponed fall sports. These changes would allow 12 hours of practice and other team activities per week for teams from both conferences.
The NCAA also approved the moving of all fall championships to the spring. Despite the unknown logistics of the number of teams in each postseason and the difference of teams playing in the fall versus the spring, the NCAA is willing to make the move.
The vote on Friday will decide whether the NCAA proposal will go into effect and could play a role in other conferences decisions going into the start of fall sports.