The NAIA’s Council of Presidents Executive Committee met Wednesday and voted not to charge fall and winter student-athletes a season of competition for the 2020-21 academic year.
The decision is based on a survey of conferences, as 12 of 19 conferences were in favor of removing the 50 percent rule. Four conferences were in favor of keeping the 50 percent rule and three were divided.
The rule stated a student-athlete will only be charged a season of competition when the student participates in more than 50 percent of the maximum allowable games in any sport, or the student competes in NAIA-approved postseason.
“Due to the constraints that COVID-19 has imposed on collegiate athletics, most of our conferences believed it was in the best interest of our fall and winter student-athletes to not charge a season of competition this year,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “Many factors were taken into account, but the underlying consideration was relieving pressure on both student-athletes, as well as institutions, as they continue to navigate the fall and winter seasons.”
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