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COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on many people’s plans for the spring of 2020 and possibly even further on into the future. The virus has especially affected spring sports athletes at Grand View and other universities.

Many athletes were forced to take a look at their future when the COVID-19 outbreak began. Eligibility was up in the air for athletes in all sports up until March 30, when the NCAA announced it was going to grant all spring sports athletes another year of eligibility.

“When something outside of your control takes away the ability to compete — and usually we think of an injury — you get that year back,” Tulane Athletic Director Troy Dannen said. “And this is something certainly outside the control of the student.”

Most people would think of this extra year of eligibility as a positive thing, but what about those student-athletes who had their ducks in a row for life after college? Many athletes are running into a dilemma where they do not know whether to choose the present or the future.

Many college students already have bigger commitments lined up for after graduation, but suddenly throwing in another year for athletes to play the sport they most likely will never get the chance to play again makes the decision-making process a little tougher.

“With eligibility relief, there would be far more athletes who have their degrees with seasons left to compete, said Morgan State University Athletic Director Edward Scott. “This could lead to more graduate transfers. I think that’s where the competitive advantages will slide much more toward the larger schools than the mid-majors.”  

Not only is the future of senior student-athletes uncertain, but there are also many other issues that have yet to be discussed and resolved with eligibility relief. For example, it causes many financial burdens with universities due to the number of scholarships that have been given out, which later affects the incoming freshmen because there is a limit on how many athletes can be on one team’s roster. It also causes issues with on-campus housing and space on campus. This all affects the commitments of incoming student-athletes. Additionally, as of right now, winter sports that were still in session do not get relief or get to complete their season. The added year of eligibility is a positive for the athletes who lost the opportunity to compete, James Madison Athletic Director Jeff Bourne said, but “this is going to be an incredibly confusing and daunting task.”