Sorry I was going by the web info and not NCAA regulations. Found this in the NCAA manual which you can download. It just depends if CGP, Casey, School and Conference wants to push it!
14.2.4 Hardship waiver. A student-athlete may be granted an additional year of competition by the conference or the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for reasons of “hardship.” Hardship is defined as an
incapacity resulting from an injury or illness that has occurred under all of the following conditions: (Revised:
8/8/02, 11/1/07 effective 8/1/08)
(a) The incapacitating injury or illness occurs in one of the four seasons of intercollegiate competition at any twoyear or four-year collegiate institutions or occurs after the first day of classes in the student-athlete’s senior year
in high school; (Revised: 1/10/92 effective 8/1/92, 11/1/01, 8/8/02)
(b) The injury or illness occurs prior to the first competition of the second half of the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship in that sport (see Bylaw 14.2.4.3.4) and results in incapacity to compete for the remainder of that playing season; (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01,
4/3/02, 4/24/08)
14.2.4.3.4 First-Half-of-Season Calculation.
14.2.4.3.4.1 Team Sports. In team sports, the first half of the season is measured by the number of
scheduled contests or dates of competition not exceeding the maximum limitations in each sport as set
forth in Bylaw 17 as set prior to the first scheduled contest or date of competition of the designated official NCAA championship playing season in the applicable sport or the number of completed contests
or dates of competition. In determining if an injury or illness occurs prior to the first competition of the
second half of the season that concludes with the NCAA championship in a sport with an odd number
of scheduled or completed contests or dates of competition, the injury or illness must have occurred
prior to the beginning of the scheduled or completed varsity contest or date of competition that starts
the second half of the season that concludes with the NCAA championship (e.g., an injury or illness
occurring at any time after the beginning of the scheduled sixth game of an 11-game schedule would be
considered to be after the first half of the institution’s season and would not qualify the student-athlete
for a hardship waiver). (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01, 8/4/05, 4/24/08)
14.2.1.5.1 Waiver Criteria. A waiver of the five-year period of eligibility is designed to provide a studentathlete with the opportunity to participate in four seasons of intercollegiate competition within a five-year
period. This waiver may be granted, based upon objective evidence, for reasons that are beyond the control
of the student-athlete or the institution, which deprive the student-athlete of the opportunity to participate
for more than one season in his/her sport within the five-year period. The Committee on Student-Athlete
Reinstatement reserves the right to review requests that do not meet the more-than-one-year criteria detailed in this bylaw for circumstances of extraordinary or extreme hardship. A student-athlete who has
exhausted his or her five years of eligibility may continue to practice (but not compete) for a maximum of
30 consecutive calendar days, provided the student-athlete’s institution has submitted a waiver request. The
student-athlete may not commence practice until the institution has filed such a request. Further, if such a
request is denied prior to exhausting the 30-day practice period, the student-athlete must cease all practice
activities upon the institution’s notification of the denial. (Revised: 4/17/91, 1/11/94, 8/10/94, 10/12/95,
4/27/00, 7/30/10)
14.2.1.5.1.1 Circumstances Beyond Control. Circumstances considered to be beyond the control of the student-athlete or the institution and do not cause a participation opportunity to be used
shall include, but are not limited to, the following: (Adopted: 8/10/94, Revised: 10/12/95, 7/30/10)
(a) Situations clearly supported by contemporaneous medical documentation, which states that a
student-athlete is unable to participate in intercollegiate competition as a result of incapacitating
physical or mental circumstances;