NCAA working on plan to extend eligibility for impacted athletes; area coaches give support despite logistical hurdles
Mike barber RTD 3/13/20
Excerpted.....
“....At Richmond, spring sports coaches on Friday were curious as to how, and when, the NCAA would clarify the eligibility of seniors on their teams. Women’s lacrosse coach Allison Kwolek suggested that some sort of quick resolution would be helpful.
“For them to know that there is that option … but a lot of them have their careers set up and their jobs set up,” Kwolek said. “It’s just hard. For a spring sport, we’re not even halfway into our season yet.”
Kowolek said her seniors are a major reason the Spiders are 7-0 and ranked No. 10. If some of them returned to UR, the program would unexpectedly retain strength.....
Spiders baseball coach Tracy Woodson on Friday recognized the eligibility issue for seniors as “the big question.” He wondered if roster expansion would be permitted so his team could accommodate returning seniors in addition to incoming freshmen.
You work year-round for 56 games. It’s a tough ending for them,” Woodson said of his seniors.
Woodson as of Friday had spoken to almost all of his seniors to gauge their interest in a possible return next season. Some are committed to employment opportunities.
“If you don’t have your dream job, for me, I’m coming back. I want to play,” Woodson said. “But that’s me. There are some guys that like baseball more than they like other things. Others don’t.”....
Richmond men’s lacrosse coach Dan Chemotti thinks not only seniors should get back a season of eligibility.
“All of the springs sports athletes,” he said. “Obviously that’s the senior year for a whole bunch of people and nobody can plan that kind of ending for them.
“But all of these other student-athletes certainly deserve a full four years.”