The NCAA has agreed to grant an extra year of eligibility to those affected by spring sports, and obviously, this will affect the Washington Huskies
The NCAA Council Coordination Committee has agreed it will be granting an extra year of eligibility to all spring sport athletes that have been impacted due to COVID-19 cancellations, which will impact the Washington Huskies in a big way. Below is a list of sports where the athletics department will be directly impacted:
Baseball
Softball
Men’s rowing
Women’s rowing
Beach volleyball
The NCAA’s Council Coordination Committee has agreed to grant relief for the use of a season of competition for student-athletes who have participated in spring sports.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 13, 2020
Committee will also discuss issues for winter sport student-athletes.
Men’s tennis
Women’s tennis
Track and field
Men’s golf
Women’s golf
From what has been released so far, all spring sports athletes across all levels of NCAA sponsored college athletics will be receiving this extra year, and for the Huskies, the program most impacted will be the softball team, who is currently ranked #2 in the country, will now be able to get one more year from their senior leaders, shortstop Sis Bates, catcher Morganne Flores, and utility player Kaija Gibson.
They’ll also now be able to pair super freshman Kelley Lynch, along with their already loaded roster, with the nation’s top recruit for 2021 according to Flosoftball, Kinsey Fiedler.
The big questions
With the stacking of rosters, and incoming freshmen who will also be on scholarship, the NCAA will need to figure out a way to manage roster sizes and scholarship distribution. Nothing is set in stone on that yet, but the easiest solution seems to be simply expanding roster size and scholarship allotments for the time being. It’s easier said than done, but for now, the good news is seniors won’t leave on a sour note wondering what would’ve been.
What about winter sports? They’re apparently also on the agenda, but since it’s all postseason play, it’s unclear how the committee will rule on that.