Report: NCAA sends memo out on exploring extended eligibility for college athletes

One of the biggest questions that fans have had in the wake of the cancelation of the rest of the academic calendar across the NCAA is what it means for student-athlete eligibility. It appears that those discussions are already taking place.

According to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, a memo was sent out to member schools on Friday saying that the NCAA believes “it will be appropriate to grant relief for the use of a season for competition for student-athletes who have participated in spring sports.”

What does this mean? Basically, the NCAA seems as if it will likely grant another season of eligibility to spring sport athletes. Seeing as their seasons just got underway (for example, baseball has played 15 games in a season that could have potentially run through June), this would be fair and seems like a no-brainer.

Auerbach also says that they will be working on issues pertaining to this and also winter athletes. However, that is where things might get a little dicey. Of course, you feel for guys like Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske and Cassius Winston at MSU who do not get to close out their careers on a high note. But those players had as little as two games left and it seems letting them come back for a whole new season would be an emotional overreaction.

We will see what the NCAA decides, but it seems all but assured the spring sport kids will be alright. That will still affect players on the baseball team who may be done anyways should they decide to enter the MLB Draft.