As we continue to navigate through the world of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA is going to face some tough questions about athlete eligibility.

What happens with players who opt out before the season? What happens if a player opts out during the season? What happens if a player catches COVID-19 and can’t finish the season?

On Wednesday afternoon, the NCAA Division I Council issued its recommendations for the Division I Board of Directors. As you can see below, the Council recommends that if a player doesn’t appear in at least half of his or her games due to COVID-19, they should get a 1-year extension of their eligibility:

“In this time of uncertainty, the Council members are working to create additional flexibility for college athletes whose seasons have been negatively impacted by the pandemic,” said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania. “Every day things are changing in college sport, and we want to be as responsive as possible, with the best information, to help student-athletes and their families make important decisions for their future. The Council worked hard today and will seek membership input before we make final recommendations to the board next week.”

Per that quote, the final vote will be held next week. We’ll see what the board of directors decides then.