NCAA approves eligibility relief for spring sports student-athletes, but now what?
The NCAA Division I Council has voted to give student-athletes in spring sports an additional year of eligibility after their seasons and championship events were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In announcing the additional year of eligibility, the NCAA also gave schools the flexibility to deal with how (or if) they’ll pay for scholarships and whether to expand rosters. But doing the right thing comes with questions, and with consequences.
For Fresno State it isn’t an easy puzzle. It comes down to dollars, as it usually does when trying to support 21 sports programs on a tight budget.
“The decision was made for the benefit of the student-athlete, which is always going to be something that we appreciate and support, however, we always have to understand the impact that this may have on us as an institution and the financial constraints that go along with it,” Fresno State athletics director Terry Tumey said.
“We’re happy about the situation, but there are a lot of other pieces in play to understand how Fresno State would participate … If you’re a Group of Five institution it makes it a challenge.”
Fresno State options
What are the options?
Tumey and his senior leadership no doubt will explore every avenue, but there are difficult decisions ahead.
The athletics department could raise the additional money to fund scholarships for any seniors who want to return, but that could be difficult given the economic climate, and for years there has not been a significant spike in Bulldogs’ football ticket sales (a big piece of the Fresno State revenue stream) or donations that run through them.
It could ask the university to cover the cost of additional scholarships so that any seniors who want to return can, but in 2019-20 the university already is putting $19.2 million into athletics.
The NCAA is allowing schools to use its student assistance fund on scholarships in 2020-21, but that already is absorbed quickly in an athletics budget on academic advising, tutoring services, nutritional support and due to the cancellation of March Madness the NCAA has severely cut distribution this year to conferences and schools.
Fresno State could invite all seniors to come back without athletics aid, or invite them back and leave it to coaches in the equivalency sports to divide up the scholarships as they see fit on expanded rosters. It could invite seniors to come back in all sports, but give a bump in scholarship dollars only to the ticketed sports.
A senior receiving a 50% scholarship this season could come back at 50% 40%, 30%, 20% or anything down to no athletic aid next year.
Fresno State could also say, “Thank you for the past four years” and, “You’re welcome to transfer to another school for this extra season of eligibility.”
After restoring wrestling and adding women’s water polo the Bulldogs have 21 sports programs and with cost of attendance stipends, the bill for athletic aid already has jumped to $8.2 million from $5.6 million in 2015.
It is the second-highest line item in the athletics budget, behind only department salaries and benefits.
What about football?
The questions become dire if the COVID-19-related cancellations run into the summer and the college football season is delayed, cut short or canceled.
Football revenue drives athletics departments, not just at Fresno State.
Ticket revenue for six games at Bulldog Stadium was projected to bring in $4.35 million in the 2019-20 athletics budget, suite leases another $456,000, football parking another $350,000. The majority of revenue from concessions, $350,000, also comes from football games.
The Bulldogs also are scheduled to play non-conference games at Colorado on Sept. 12 and at Texas A&M on Oct. 10, which are worth $600,000 as the final game in 2-for-1 series and $1.3 million to the athletics department.