The NCAA is granting an additional year of athletic eligibility to spring sport athletes whose seasons were canceled because of COVID-19. Last Monday the Division 1 council voted to give an extra year of eligibility to athletes from baseball, tennis, golf and outdoor track and field amongst others. For UTRGV Athletic Director Chasse Conque is pleased with the decision reached NCAA and agrees with their ruling.
What the NCAA did is what they should have done and something that we all support it and they made the right decision and certainly took into consideration the impact that this all’s [COVID-19] had on our student athletes.
However, the NCAA will allow each individual university to determine how much scholarship money will be granted to returning senior student athletes. For the 23 possible returning spring sport seniors Conque says that financial aid would be offered.
My goal and President Bailey’s goal is to offer that opportunity to all of our student athletes and over the last 24-36 hours as we’ve been able to share that news with our young people that they are going to have the opportunity to return you can imagine how excited they were not just that they have an opportunity but we are going to honor their aid that they were on this year.
With the loss of revenue due to the canceling of spring sports Conque and UTRGV Athletic have already started taking the first financial steps for next season.
As we work through our budget as we identify where we have some of those saving we are hoping to be able to apply those to make sure that our programs are healthy enough to be able to compete as the level we want them to compete at next year.
Reporter Luis Rubio
