Giving College Basketball Seniors an Extra Year of Eligibility is a Bad Idea.

Giving college basketball seniors an extra year of eligibility because they did not get the chance to play in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament sounds like a lot better of an idea than it really is.

While yes, it is tremendously disappointing for players and fans there was no tournament, the fact of the matter is senior college basketball players have already had a full season.

Giving them another season would be a “rich get richer” scenario and a logistical nightmare in terms of scholarships, budgets, etc.

Besides, there’s no guarantee that the players denied an appearance in the 2020 NCAA Tournament would earn an appearance in 2021.

While the NCAA offered spring sports seniors the opportunity to return for an extra year of eligibility in 2021, the difference between spring sports scholarships and basketball scholarships are night and day.

For instance, the NCAA allows Division I men’s basketball programs 13 scholarships, but baseball, a sport played with double the players, receives just 11.7.

Few baseball players receive full scholarships, while almost all basketball players do. Baseball scholarships are distributed to a maximum of 27 players on the roster, with a 35-varsity player limit. All non-walk on baseball players must receive at least a quarter-scholarship.