CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- Earlier this week the NCAA announced spring sports athletes will get eligibity back that was lost this season.
But when it comes to financial aid the NCAA has passed the buck to the individual school.
Through Zoom we spoke with SIU athletic Director Liz Jarnigan about the future of spring sports at SIU and some the challenges the athletic department faces.
"Great news for our student athletes and Salukis from the NCAA allowing our spring athletes to get their year back next year, but what is not good news is coupled with the fact that it is going to cost us about $400,000 in order to allow that for our student athletes coupled with the NCAA did cut $600,000-$700,00 out of our current fiscal year," Jarnigan said. "Budgeted amount that they were supposed to be giving us so we are talking about a million dollar swing so that is not exciting news but we'll figure it out. Taking care of our student athletes is our primary concern so we will figure it out. I don't know exactly how yet but we will do it."
Does it make it challenging especially with a sport like baseball that has 11.7 scholarships and their roster is expanded and it was already a challenge for that sport to begin with?
"Yes that is part of the challenge, adding to the roster limits is going to allow us to bring all 8 of our current seniors back but the challenge in terms of affording that is also how do we meet our Title IX responsibilities and we have to provide roster opportunities and scholarship dollars in the amounts that are equitable by gender so that becomes another component to our considerations."
But with the guidelines for equality how do you keep it fair, how does that go into play?
"We're going to have to be very careful how we determine the roster numbers for all of our teams next year in order to accomodate more men and women on our spring rosters. Careful about that as we move forward and also be very careful about the distribution of aid to make sure its done equitably so it's not just a matter of fundraising and finding the money to bring them back which is one component, it's a matter of being very cautious and careful about making sure we are bringing everyone back for next spring in an equitable way."
