2024 5th year COVID seniors CONFIRMED

[irichluck21]

I can tell you for sure that MAG gymnasts, that were seniors in 2020, did not or were not allowed to stay. Their season and careers were finished on March 13.

I know. I have stated this already.
NCAA Winter sports were cancelled at the end of the season. Most were in post season. MAG runs a bit longer.
Spring sports had just started (softball, baseball) when Covid came along, so they didn’t end up using a year of eligibility because they didn’t compete.

Had Covid hit harder earlier (January) then winter sports would have had another year of eligibility because they didn’t compete.

Again, as I have already stated. NCAA did not look at individual sports. They concluded that winter sports had a full season.
All athletes lost the post season, not just seniors.
Seniors did not have the option to continue, unless they had a year of eligibility left due to redshirt.

None of the seniors were “allowed to stay”.

Your statement that athletes were “let go because of roster limits” is incorrect. There were no roster size limits and scholarship caps was put on hold to accommodate athletes taking a Covid year. For example, Alyssa Baumann and Megan Skaggs took their Covid year and were on scholarship, Florida was able to go over the 13 scholarship athletes because NCAA put a hold on the limit of scholarship athletes.

The only athletes that competed in 2020 that were given a covid year were the freshman, sophomores, and juniors because they competed in 2020-2021 NCAA school year and NCAA had determined that all athletes would be given an extra year due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.

 

[MAGfan]

I know you are talking mostly about Women, but on the Men’s side, gymnasts have been cut due to roster size limits, and it happens almost every season with people taking he 5th year.

 

[irichluck21]

but on the Men’s side, gymnasts have been cut due to roster size limits, and it happens almost every season with people taking he 5th year.

This is new this year because NCAA returned the scholarship caps.

It has happened in WAG as well, where incoming freshmen were not given their scholarship due to a returning senior.

But previously athletes were not cut because of the pause on restrictions.

 

[irichluck21]

gymnasts have been cut due to roster size limits,

What is the limit?

 

[MAGfan]

Roster size is determined by the universities, so it varies.

 

[irichluck21]

Roster size is determined by the universities, so it varies.

So there is no enforced limit, those decisions are made by the university not NCAA.

The only NCAA restriction is scholarship cap.

Coaches cut athletes all of the time in sports, this is nothing new or related to Covid.

If a university caps the number of athletes on a particular team that was a decision made by them.

 

[MAGfan]

You are correct in the caps. But the NCAA allowed the 5th year, but with no cap increase, it causes the cuts. Those cuts would not happen without the 5th year. So, while it is not directly NCAA related, it is caused by NCAA guidelines.

But I do see what you are saying. And yes, coaches cut for all kinds of reasons.

 

[irichluck21]

You are correct in the caps. But the NCAA allowed the 5th year, but with no cap increase, it causes the cuts. Those cuts would not happen without the 5th year. So, while it is not directly NCAA related, it is caused by NCAA guidelines.

That’s not correct…this is like you stated directly connected to each university’s decisions.
Covid year is not related at all.

Athletes get injured and red shirt all the time, and did so previous to Covid. So if that athlete chooses to extend their NCAA career by opting to use the red-shirt eligibility extension and there is a roster limit, the coach must make a decision to allow that 5th year (or 6th year even) to take the year and cut someone.

The athletes cut is someone that is not contributing to the team effort or barely contributes.
Otherwise I am sure the coach would petition the athletic director to allow for an extra roster spot for a year.

furthermore, just because the NCAA allowed for 5th year for Covid, doesn’t mean the coaches or universities have to allow for it.

 

[MensGym]

Some NCAA MAG teams have a cap of 19 set by their university. Some have cap of 23 as set by their university. It’s not like WAG at all. MAG gets 1.6 scholarships a year, so the coaches need to be careful on how they spend their money. Some Covid 5th year athletes have been approved to come back, but without scholarship.
I get what you’re saying, but MAG is just a tiny bit different.

 

[irichluck21]

Welp universities won’t have to worry about it too much longer anyway.
Next year’s seniors are the last group that can opt for Covid year.

 

[irichluck21]

Malia Hargrove back to Arizona for her 5th year.

 

[irichluck21]

Cassie Stevens and Aria Brusch coming back for Auburn.

Angela Labat returning at Illinois State.

 

[blake]

5th year for Chloe Widner!

 

[Yarotska]

And here I was having no idea she was there that long. But didn’t Stanford only have a small number of gymnasts that opted to compete in 2021 anyway?

 

[irichluck21]

And here I was having no idea she was there that long. But didn’t Stanford only have a small number of gymnasts that opted to compete in 2021 anyway?

The whole barely competed. Their first meet of the season they only put up 3 on bars, beam, and floor and no one vaulted. Then they had four other meets, one of which was Pac 12. They didn’t have enough scores for an NQS.

 

[RedBirdie]

Stanford had very serious lockdowns that affected training. They could only train outside for long stretches…and its not like you can just move gym equipment onto a practice field somewhere. 2021 was basically lost for Stanford.

 

[Laura722]

JerQuavia Henderson is back for a 5th year with Iowa.



Vanessa Deniz (Georgia) is also coming back for a 5th year.

 

[irichluck21]

Vanessa Deniz (Georgia) is also coming back for a 5th year.

It’s her 4th year of eligibility.

She did not compete in 2022 when she was in Oklahoma.

So she only used 3 years so far, so she has one more additional year of eligibility + COVID year.

 

[makam]

Okay, i get loving the sport and if grad school is on your radar, but at some point, don’t you want to start your “after college” life?

 

[RedBirdie]

Real life without the structure of high level gymnastics is terrifying.

Speaking only from my personal experience, higher ed is way more fun than the real world. Which is part of why I kept going back.