COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M will welcome back over 20 student-athletes that saw their final collegiateseason cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The “super–seniors” will return for an additional season of competition in the Maroon & White, Director of Athletics Ross Bjork announced on Friday.
“We were a proponent of providing as much flexibility as possible for our coaches to work with the senior class of student-athletes that were not able to achieve their goals and dreams of competing during their final year of eligibility because of this pandemic,” Bjork said. “Recognizing that each situation would vary for every student-athlete, I believe we have developed a great plan and appreciate the efforts of our coaches, student-athletes and their families. Our student-athletes made their commitment to Texas A&M with a desire to compete at the highest level in college athletics and we are proud that we can offer scholarship support in 2020-21.”
The NCAA Division I Council voted on March 30, 2020 to allow schools to provide spring-sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility. Financial aid rules were adjusted to allow teams to carry more members on scholarship to account for incoming student-athletes and returning student-athletes who had been in their last year of eligibility who decide to stay.
The Council vote provided schools with the flexibility to give students the opportunity to return for
2020-21 without requiring that athletics aid be provided at the same level awarded for 2019-20. This flexibility applies only to student-athletes who would have exhausted eligibility in 2019-20. Additionally, the Council increased the roster limit in baseball for student-athletes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the only spring sport with such a limit.
Texas A&M officials estimate the total investment for this group to return for an additional year will cost approximately $550,000.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics