The NCAA Division I board of directors voted to approve a blanket waiver that gives all fall sport student-athletes an additional year of eligibility and an additional year to complete it. Instead of having five years to complete four seasons of eligibility, student-athletes will now have six years for five seasons. 

In doing so, the NCAA just gave student-athletes much more security. Its decision helps to alleviate student-athletes’ fear of having their collegiate athletic careers inevitably and abruptly end because of COVID-19

The NCAA considers the cancelation of the fall season a likely possibility. However, it encourages conferences to move the season to the spring if COVID-19 conditions and safety guidelines allow.

The announcement comes nine days after the NCAA’s Division I Council recommended giving student-athletes impacted by the pandemic an additional year of eligibility.

Along with prolonged eligibility, the board furthered the rights of student-athletes. It determined that schools can’t mandate that student-athletes waive legal rights in order to play. It also prohibits schools from altering scholarships for student-athletes who don’t participate because of COVID-19.

“We want to provide opportunities for student-athletes whenever possible,” acting board chair Denise Trauth, president of Texas State, said in a statement via the NCAA’s press release. “We understand it will be complicated and different, and we’re not certain how it will look. But we believe it’s important to try to give students that championship experience.”

The NCAA is working to support student-athletes who didn’t compete in its winter and spring championships, per the release. However, managing scholarships for the next few years may be a difficult task that could arise from such a decision.