Colleges’ eligibility decision may lead to a numbers crunch

For college athletes heading into a season of uncertainty brought on by COVID-19, the NCAA’S decision to not charge them a year of eligibility — no matter how much they play — brings peace of mind. And happy parents.

“My mom’s more excited about it than I am,” said running back Deshaun Fenwick, who is heading into his third year at South Carolina. “When I call her, she’s going to tell me I can stay and get my master’s.”

The NCAA decision does not come without complications. Paying for all those extra scholarships will be tricky for schools tightening budgets, and some athletes might find their coaches not so eager to welcome them back. Plus, the backlog of athletes cycling out of college could mean fewer opportunities for the next wave coming from high school.

“We’re trying to create flexibility like we’ve never seen in college athletics,” said South Dakota State athletic director Justin Sell, a member of the Division I Council.

College administrators have gone through this already. The recommendation made by the Division I Council last week, and approved by the Board of Directors on Friday, mimics what was done in the spring after the pandemic canceled seasons in sports such as baseball, softball and lacrosse.

Seniors will be permitted to return next year and not count against a sport’s roster or scholarship limits. Underclassmen will get access to a waiver they can use to extend their careers, but beyond the 2021-22 academic year, those athletes will count against scholarship and roster limits.

So Clemson junior quarterback Trevor

Lawrence, who started as a freshman, could conceivably play five full seasons.

But while the NCAA is giving back the eligibility, no athlete is guaranteed financial aid or a scholarship. Those decisions will be left to the schools.

The big difference in applying this model to fall and spring is football, where Bowl Subdivision teams can have up to 85 scholarship players; the Championship Series limit is 63. Those scholarship can range from $30,000 per year to pushing $80,000 at a private school. With colleges and athletic departments facing massive revenue losses as a result of the pandemic, funding extra scholarships will be challenging.

Major college football teams could end up with 100 or more scholarship players next season. The thought of bringing back a bunch of sixth-year seniors will bring smiles to some coaches — especially at programs that rely more on developmental players than blue-chip recruits who tend to be short-timers anyway.

“I know this: If we had every guy who could come back next year and did come back next year, we would have a really, really loaded group,” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said.

There are 257 Division I football programs (130 in FBS) that will start the 2021 fall season with, essentially, two freshmen classes — upward of 40 players with four years of eligibility left. There are no plans as of now to adjust scholarship limits after next year to address the clogged pipeline.

“I think anybody that knows the true workings of inside programs, these college program will run kids off,” said Nate Hillerich, football coach at Pickerington North High School. “Kids will be transferring, going to lower levels.”