Division II Approves Eligibility Waiver For Athletes Affected by COVID-19 in 2020-21

The Division II Administrative Committee approved an eligibility waiver for student-athletes if their team competes in fewer than 50 percent of the sports competitions because of COVID-19 during the 2020-21 school year.

In its videoconference meeting Wednesday, the Division II Administrative Committee approved two proactive recommendations for all sports from the Division II Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement.

The first allows schools to self-apply a season-of-competition waiver for student-athletes, provided all of these criteria are met:

• The student-athlete’s team participated in no more than 50% of the sport’s maximum contests/dates of competition for the 2020-21 academic year due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
• The student-athlete used a season of competition during the 2020-21 academic year.
• The student-athlete was eligible for competition while competing during the 2020-21 academic year.

Individual waiver requests for student-athletes who do not meet the criteria above can be submitted through the traditional process and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The Administrative Committee also voted to allow schools to self-apply an extension of eligibility waiver (two semesters or three quarters) if one of these criteria is met:

• A student-athlete qualifies for a season-of-competition waiver as noted above.
• A student-athlete is unable to participate due to the cancellation of the sport season.

A student-athlete must be otherwise eligible for competition for the 2020-21 academic year for an institution to self-apply an extension of eligibility waiver.

The Administrative Committee is composed of the chairs and vice chairs of the Division II Presidents Council and Management Council and one additional member of the Presidents Council. The committee is tasked with handling important Division II business in between quarterly meetings of the Presidents Council. The Division II Administrative Committee will meet again July 29 and discuss providing flexibility for winter and spring seasons.

View the full list of actions taken by the Division II Administrative Committee in response to COVID-19 here. More college news here.