NCAA approves waiver granting fall athletes extra year of eligibility

The NCAA Board of Directors approved the blanket waiver allowing fall student-athletes to retain their year of eligibility regardless of whether they opt to play in their season, it announced Friday.

Schools will also be allowed to exempt athletic aid to students who would have exhausted eligibility in 2020-21, meaning seniors who want to return to campus next year won't count toward scholarship limits.

The approval is set to have a major impact on the college football landscape. A number of conferences - including the Big Ten and Pac-12 - have canceled their upcoming campaigns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, even in conferences that will attempt to play this fall, such as the SEC, ACC, and Big 12, those student-athletes can participate and still keep a year of eligibility.

The NCAA's ruling will result in larger roster sizes for college football teams, which could lead to increased financial stress. Programs at every level have already suffered crippling financial losses due to the pandemic.

Other college sports included in the approved proposal are soccer, volleyball, and cross-country.