COVID-19 Legislation
Higher education is facing unique challenges, and the Division I leadership believes it’s appropriate to examine areas in which rules can be relaxed or amended to provide flexibility for schools and conferences.
NCAA Council chair, M. Grace Calhoun
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA has released question and answer documents and provided information about pending actions for consideration. Below are three documents provided by the NCAA to guide athletic departments through the complex situations arising from these unique circumstances. (Last reviewed and updated by SHSU staff on May 14, 2021).
Fall Sports
On September 22, 2020, the NCAA Division I council approved traditionally fall sports conducting their championship seasons in spring 2021 rather than fall 2020. Please see the below table with information about changes to NCAA championships for SHSU fall sports that will compete in spring 2021.
Recognizing that many prospective student-athletes would experience significant academic and logistical issues related to COVID-19, including limited or non-existent access to ACT or SAT testing centers, the NCAA has changed some of its initial eligibility standards for 2021-22.
On April 14, 2021, the NCAA extended this flexibility for 2022-23 enrollees.
To review these changes more in-depth, please review this link.
“Our decisions place emphasis where it belongs — on the health and safety of college athletes,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said. “Student-athletes should never feel pressured into playing their sport if they do not believe it is safe to do so. These policies ensure they can make thoughtful, informed decisions about playing this (year).”
With President Emmert's stance in mind, the NCAA membership passed legislation on August 21, 2020 that permits student-athletes with concerns about contracting COVID-19 due to participating in collegiate athletics to "opt out" for the 2020-21 academic year. Student-athletes who choose to opt out will have their athletics aid honored but cannot engage in any athletics activities with their teammates (practices, competitions, weight lifting, conditioning, etc.) and must continue to fulfill all team, SHSU, and NCAA academic and conduct standards.
Due to COVID-19 related issues, SHSU athletics fall teams (cross country, football, women's soccer, and women's volleyball) elected not to compete in fall 2020 and elected to compete instead in spring 2021. For more information about fall sport play and practice season changes, see the links below.
Basketball, bowling and indoor track and field are classified as winter sports. See the links below to learn more about changes to basketball playing seasons legislation for 2020-21. The NCAA did not make any changes to bowling or indoor track and field playing seasons legislation for 2020-21.
Basketball
Football
Other Fall Sports
NCAA Division I COVID-19 Dead Period
(Updated May 10, 2021 by SHSU staff)On February 17, 2021, the NCAA extended the recruiting dead period for all Division I sports until May 31, 2021. With this ban, DI coaches in all sports are prohibited from meeting recruits off-campus or evaluating their athletics ability in-person.
On April 16, 2021, the NCAA announced that beginning June 1, 2021, the dead period would officially end and all sports would be subject to previously published recruiting calendars.
Campus Visits
During the COVID-19 dead period, recruits are prohibited from meeting coaches or other SHSU athletics staff members on campus (i.e., no official or unofficial visits). This includes recruits who have signed a National Letter-of-Intent (NLI) with SHSU.
While recruits are still permitted to take campus tours, SHSU athletics staff members are prohibited from arranging these tours or meeting with recruits before/during/after their tour.
Student-athletes ARE permitted to meet with recruits on-campus during the dead period. However, coaches/staff are prohibited from being involved in arranging these visits. Further, student-athletes are prohibited from providing tours/providing access to athletics facilities to recruits.
Complimentary Tickets for Recruits/Persons Associated with Recruits
During the COVID-19 dead period, SHSU athletics cannot provide complimentary tickets to recruits, their coaches or any other persons associated with the recruit. This legislation also prohibits SHSU departments other than athletics (i.e., admissions) from providing complimentary tickets to recruitable aged individuals.
Virtual Recruiting and Permissible Callers
With this ban on in-person recruiting, the only way to permissibly recruit will be through electronic communication (e.g., phone calls, texts, social media, remote co-playing video games, Zoom calls, etc.).
On December 2, 2020, the NCAA approved a blanket waiver that allows coaches, including volunteer coaches, full-time institutional staff members and current students to initiate recruiting calls (e.g., telephone calls, video calls) involving recruits. On April 16, 2021, this waiver was extended through December 31, 2021.
On April 28, 2021, the NCAA also approved a football specific blanket waiver that addresses phone calls to prospects. For more information, please click on the link from the NCAA.
While recruiting during the extended period will be unique in many ways, all legislation about when coaches can begin communicating with recruits has not changed.
Season of Competition and Extension of Eligibility Waivers for Fall and Winter Student-Athletes
On August 21, 2020, the NCAA approved the granting to all fall student-athletes who were otherwise eligible to compete a "season of competition" waiver for 2020-21. This waiver was granted regardless of the number of completed contests in which the fall student-athletes competed. On October 14, 2020, the NCAA extended this same waiver to all winter student-athletes for 2020-21.
In effect, this means that all fall and winter SHSU student-athletes will be able to participate in competitions for SHSU without using a season of competition in 2020-21. Likewise, fall and winter student-athletes who would have exhausted their eligibility in 2020-21 will be permitted to return to compete in 2021-22 at the discretion of their coaches.
SHSU Fall and Winter Sports Defined
For the purposes of NCAA legislation, SHSU fall sports are cross country, football, women's soccer, and women's volleyball. SHSU winter sports are basketball, women's bowling and indoor track and field.
2020-21 Freshmen Spring Student-Athletes
On February 17, 2021, the NCAA membership discussed the possibility of extending blanket season of competition and extension of eligibilty waivers to eligible freshmen spring sport student-athletes (the NCAA approved blanket waivers for all 2019-2020 spring student-athletes). However, the NCAA membership rejected extending blanket waivers to 2020-21 freshmen spring student-athletes.
