Princeton’s Michael Sowers, the likely Tewaaraton frontrunner this spring before the season was cut short due to COVID-19, has withdrawn from his spring semester at Princeton in order to return to the university and play next season, according to a report from The Athletic's Dana O’Neil.

The NCAA granted a blanket waiver to spring student-athletes last night, but the Ivy League does not allow graduate students to compete in athletics. The Ivy League issued a statement to O’Neil: “The Ivy League supported the NCAA proposal to provide relief for all student-athletes whose spring seasons were canceled due to COVID-19. The League is considering the implications of this decision in order to appropriately counsel student-athletes currently evaluating their options.” 

This is not unprecedented. Rob Pannell withdrew from Cornell in order to return the following year after breaking a bone in his foot. He returned to Cornell in 2013 for his final season.

“My dream would be to be back in a Princeton uniform,” Sowers told US Lacrosse Magazine on March 20. “That’s the goal right now to make that happen, but we haven't gotten much clarification from the Ivy League in terms of how to actually do that. We’re just patiently waiting to see what happens.” 

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