On January 29, 20201, the NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief issued four blanket waivers covering the following subjects – all effective immediately:
1. Telephone Calls During COVID-19 Recruiting Dead Period: On February 1, 2021, Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) institutions can start contacting prospective student-athletes currently in their junior year of high school through the conclusion of the recruiting dead period.
2. 2021 Preseason Football Practice Limits: FBS and FCS institutions may exclude football student-athletes from counting in the preseason practice activities limit during the 2021-2022 academic year.
3. Football Graduate Assistant Coach Fourth Year: Individuals who served as FBS or FCS graduate assistant coaches during the 2020-2021 academic year are eligible for a fourth year provided all other requirement of the graduate assistant coaching legislation (NCAA Division I Bylaw 11.01.3), including existing academic (being a student in good standing), are met.
4. Individual Associated with a Prospective Student-Athlete: The FBS individual associated with a prospective student-athlete rules now exclude sport-specific, noncoaching staff members in FBS football who maintained contact with prospective student-athletes only while employed in the athletics department at a four-year institution. This one-time waiver is applicable until the Division I Council determines a resolution on Proposal No. 2019-25 for Bowl Subdivision Football.