Liberty to allow senior student-athletes to return in 2020-21

Earlier today, Liberty Athletics informed its spring sports programs that it supports the return of senior student-athletes who had their final season shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are in agreement with the NCAA granting a blanket waiver to afford a fifth year of eligibility for spring sport senior student-athletes who had their seasons cut short,” said Liberty Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. “With that, there are 19 Liberty spring sport seniors who desire to return next year and we are very excited to afford them the opportunity to continue their student-athlete experience next year. These student-athletes are leaders in their respective programs and we look forward to them making important contributions and thriving athletically, academically, spiritually and socially in 2020-21.”

On March 30, the NCAA Division I Council voted to allow schools to provide spring sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility.

NCAA members can also adjust financial aid rules to allow teams to carry more members on scholarship to account for incoming recruits and student-athletes who had been in their last year of eligibility who decide to stay.

Division I rules limit student-athletes to four seasons of competition within a five-year period. The Council’s decision allows schools to self-apply waivers to restore one of those seasons of competition for student-athletes who had competed while eligible in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 spring season.

On March 13, the ASUN Conference announced its decision to cancel the remainder of the spring sports season due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The ASUN Conference’s decision brought to a close the competitive seasons for Liberty’s baseball, softball, men’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field programs.