All winter sport athletes will be granted an extra year of eligibility following the 2020-21 season, regardless of the number of events they compete in, the NCAA DI Council announced Wednesday.
In late August, the NCAA granted all fall athletes an extra year of eligibility, regardless of the number of events they participated in. Spring athletes in the 2020 season were given an extra year of eligibility after the spring athletic season was canceled in March due to COVID-19.
DI schools will not be required to sponsor the minimum required number of sports for membership purposes, as long as the schools can prove they intend to sponsor the required number but cannot due to COVID-19 related reasons.
For football, there will no longer be a requirement for eligibility to participate in a bowl game in the 2020-21 bowl season. Previously, most bowls required a team to have at least a .500 record. Last year, the North Carolina football team won the Military Bowl after going 6-6 in the regular season, defeating Temple 55-13.
Finally, the DI council introduced a proposal to allow all athletes a one-time transfer exception. As of now, athletes in baseball, football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s ice hockey are not eligible to transfer and play immediately without a waiver.
The proposal requires that the head coach at the new school and the transferring athlete certify that no tampering took place. Athletes would also be required to give notice of their intent to transfer on May 1 for fall and winter athletes and July 1 for spring athletes.
The council will vote on the proposal in January. If implemented, it will take effect immediately for athletes seeking to transfer and play in the 2021-22 academic year.
