Extra year for Covid

[justafan12]

Just a warning about the extra Covid year the NCAA granted; it is not automatic.  Not sure if our situation is unique or not but I wanted everyone to know about this.

As I understand it, the NCAA rule allows a SA to complete his 4 years of playing a sport in 10 semesters of enrollment at a college or university.  These 10 semesters can be stopped if a SA drops out of school for a period and then re-enrolls.  The Covid rules allowed a SA up to 12 semesters to complete his 4 years BUT the 11 and 12 semesters have to be taken back to back; you cannot break them up like you could in the first 10 semesters.

My son started out on a track scholarship at a D1 school but due to injuries he was unable to compete.  That time started his NCAA 10 semester clock even though he was unable to participate for an entire semester and a half.  He transferred to a D3 school the next year in the spring in order to play football. 
We were not aware of the entire set of Covid rules and neither did the compliance department at his school.  Everyone just heard that SA get an extra year.  I looked it up in the NCAA rules and it does say that semesters 11 and 12 have to be taken back to back but it is buried deep in the Covid rules.  I realize ignorance of the law/rules is no excuse but if we would have know these rules we could have altered his schedule to make it work.

His school did file an appeal with the NCAA but it was denied.  I have read the appeal and it was very well written by the compliance department.  I have not seen the NCAA response but we were told it was denied.  I think we can file an another appeal but not sure of the process on that. 

I hope the above might help someone in case you have a similar situation.  If anyone has any advice on the appeal process I will gladly accept it.