NCAA Division I student-athletes who have had their 2021 Spring sports season cancelled or suspended will have the opportunity to receive a waiver for limited competition with other college opponents so that they will not be charged with a season of eligibility.

This is NOT a blanket waiver that will automatically be applied for Spring sport athletes. A Division I university will need to request this waiver on behalf of any of their spring sport athletes who have been impacted by a cancelled or suspended season.

An example of how this waiver may be applied by the NCAA is the following:

The Ivy League cancelled conference competition and conference championship events for Spring sports. However, they left open the option for their universities to engage in local non-conference competition if permitted by local and regional health guidelines.

In a situation such as this, it will be possible for those D1 student-athletes to participate in limited competition and not be charged with using one of their seasons of eligibility if a waiver is approved for them by the NCAA.

This action was taken by the Division I Council because “The decision of schools and/or conferences to cancel spring sport seasons was outside of the control of the student-athletes.”

To qualify for this waiver, the student-athletes will not be allowed to participate in more than 30% of the maximum contests or dates of competition for that particular sport. Also, any such competition must not take place after the date that the NCAA selects teams for postseason competition in that sport.

Do You Need Advice?

If you have questions regarding how this waiver may be applied in your athlete’s specific situation, you can schedule a confidential Waivers and Appeals Consult online. You can also contact us directly by sending an email to rick@informedathlete.com or by calling 913-766-1235 to arrange a consult session.