General | 7/9/2020 7:43:10 PM
On July 9, the Division III Administrative Committee approved two recommendations from the Division III Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, as both concepts were originally crafted and proposed by the Empire 8. The first is to provide a blanket waiver for student-athletes in all sports whose team is unable to complete 50% or less than that sports maximum contests for the season allowing student-athletes to retain that year of eligibility. The second is a blanket waiver to automatically extend a student-athletes 10 semester/15 quarter eligibility clock should their team not meet the 50% threshold.
Empire 8’s original blanket waiver concept called for a threshold of 70% or fewer of a sports maximum contests. Upon review, the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee felt 50% was an appropriate standard and the Division III Administrative Committee ultimately supported that revision of the Empire 8 concept.
“We are pleased that the NCAA supported our concept of providing a blanket waiver in advance to the start of the fall season to protect the whole student-athlete experience and provide confidence to enroll this fall without jeopardizing their eligibility,” said Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “It is an unprecedented measure and speaks to the values of Division III athletics and student-athlete experience. We are honored to play an integral role in this coming to fruition.”
Student-athletes whose teams complete more than 50% of the sport’s maximum contests/dates of competition during the 2020-21 season would not be eligible for the blanket waiver, regardless of whether the student-athlete competed in 50% or less of the season. However, individual waiver requests could be pursued on a case-by case basis.
By approving a two-semester/three-quarter extension, schools no longer would need to file an additional extension of eligibility waiver if a student-athlete seeks to maintain full-time enrollment.
Both blanket waivers will apply to all sports during the 2020-21 academic year on a one-time basis due to the impact of COVID-19.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram