Committee also agrees to provide waivers for schools to reimburse student-athletes over canceled foreign trips, along with prospective student-athletes over expenses related to official and unofficial visits, with in-person recruiting activity suspended until at least April 15

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The NCAA Division 1 Council Coordination Committee announced Friday the group will vote March 30 on eligibility relief for student-athletes who had seasons canceled or impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.

“The coordination committee recognizes that this local decision-making is made more challenging by the implications of COVID-19,” said M. Grace Calhoun, chair of the Division 1 council and athletic director at University of Pennsylvania.

“However, providing a broader regulatory relief framework will allow campuses and conferences to make decisions they believe are in their collective best interest.”

Calhoun verified the committee’s position that eligibility relief should be provided for student-athletes participating in spring sports. The committee aspires to create a plan where member schools have the ability to make their own decisions with regard to not only the student-athletes and the teams, but also within the structure of their conference.

Whether relief will be discussed or voted upon for student-athletes competing in winter sports was not specifically addressed by Calhoun.

The committee also created a waiver for schools to provide relief for student-athletes who require reimbursement for expenses associated with canceled foreign trips. Waivers will also be issued for prospective student-athletes for expenses related to canceled official and unofficial visits.

That decision followed the committee’s ruling to suspend in-person recruiting activity until at least April 15.

“The NCAA Division I Council and its Coordination Committee recognize that the decisions they make must be grounded in the values of higher education and must reflect the realities of the challenges facing higher education. This is certainly magnified during this unprecedented period resulting from COVID-19,” Calhoun said. “The Coordination Committee, acting on behalf of the Council, took timely action to address health and safety concerns among student-athletes, prospective student-athletes and coaches.”