The Ivy League is expected to grant a limited waiver that allows 2021 graduates to participate in intercollegiate athletics during the 2021-22 school year as graduate students. The news was first reported by Taylor Peterman, a reporter for the Harvard Crimson.

Breaking: Ivy League presidents will allow current senior athletes to participate in athletics as full-time grad students at their current university next year in a break with League policies. The change is a result of Covid-19, which canceled a full year of sports. Story to come

— Taylor Peterman (@taylorcpeterman) February 11, 2021

The situation is unfolding, and Ivy League coaches have limited knowledge of the specifics. In a communication obtained by US Lacrosse Magazine, Ivy League presidents explained the parameters.

“In granting this waiver, the Presidents acknowledge the unique impact of the pandemic during the current academic year across all three sport seasons for those students in their final year of Ivy League eligibility. This change is a direct result of the pandemic and will not be available in future years. The waiver provides current 4th-year students the opportunity to complete their athletics experience at their current institution in 2021-22 after staying on track to graduate in four years.”

Students will have to be enrolled as full-time students in a degree-seeking graduate program and receive waivers from their school and the league.

The league has already canceled the fall and winter sports seasons this academic year after halting spring sports last year as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

No decision has been made on this spring sports season, but last month the league stated, “Students should understand that there must be significant changes in the state of the pandemic before competition becomes feasible and that a number of factors are outside institutional control. Should competition become feasible this term it will, at best, result in an abbreviated, and likely significantly curtailed, competition schedule.”

Yale’s men’s lacrosse team has already reportedly opted out of the season, and a number of Cornell men’s lacrosse players did not enroll in classes, attempting to preserve their eligibility. A number of Princeton men’s and women’s players did the same prior to the start of the fall semester.