Seniors from #Badgers spring sports won't be back on UW teams next year despite an NCAA waiver. Barry Alvarez said it's time for them to "move forward."
Story:https://t.co/zNVIEXFoKB— Todd Milewski (@ToddMilewski) April 9, 2020
“UW Athletics places tremendous emphasis on its student-athletes earning an undergraduate degree and having a great competitive experience,” Wisconsin officials said in the statement. “In the case of the UW spring student-athletes to which the NCAA’s waiver would apply, a substantial percentage of the student-athletes are scheduled to earn their degrees before next spring. In spite of today’s uncertainties, we will do everything possible to support our student-athletes as they work toward those degrees.
Barry Alvarez to Wisconsin’s spring sports athletes: pic.twitter.com/0TYNnOPuMz
— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) April 9, 2020
“The athletic department has made the decision to not pursue waivers that would extend the eligibility of our senior student-athletes. Student-athletes in their fourth year of eligibility have concluded their careers with us. This group of student-athletes has our full support up to, including and beyond graduation. They are Badgers for life and we are greatly appreciative of the way they have represented our department and the university.”
In his monthly radio show on Wednesday, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez told WIBA-AM that the NCAA’s decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to athletes in spring sports was “an overreaction.”
“That creates a lot of problems,” Alvarez told WIBA-AM. “It’s more complicated than that as far as numbers. You’ve got another group coming in, etc. … You’ve got a group of freshmen coming in. Do you want this group coming back? How does that [affect] roster size? There’s a financial burden that goes along with that.”
Other Division I schools are weighing similar difficult decisions.
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