An NCAA committee on Friday agreed to grant an extra year of eligibility for athletes in spring sports who had seasons canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The NCAA had announced Thursday that it would cancel all remaining winter and spring sports championships. Safety of the athletes and teams was put at the forefront amid potential risks of spreading the coronavirus.
The Division I Council Coordination Committee said in a statement that "eligibility relief is appropriate" for spring athletes but that details of how that would work would be finalized later.
Amber Fiser, an All-America softball pitcher for the Gophers, is among those whose college careers hang in the balance. She is a senior who graduates this spring; her team's season ended this week in Hawaii.
Fiser said Gophers coach Jamie Trachsel "has been in constant communication with the entire team every time she hears an update from the NCAA."
"I'm unsure what the future holds as of now," Fiser said. "I'm going to be following closely and will evaluate what the best decision will be when that time comes."
The NCAA's subcommittee reportedly has discussed the eligibility of winter sports athletes as well. Prominent college basketball coaches across the country, including Michigan State's men's coach Tom Izzo and UConn's women's coach Geno Auriemma, have spoken publicly about wanting the NCAA to give seniors an extra year for missing out on the postseason.
Gophers senior Michael Hurt is finishing graduate school at the university next year, so he would consider playing again if the NCAA allowed winter athletes another season of eligibility.
