I reached out to a few people in Virginia Tech’s athletic department today and asked about the COVID year of eligibility and how it impacted scholarship numbers. Here’s the response I received, for those who are curious about it. For the tl;dr folks, the numbers are back to normal and COVID waivers DO count against team numbers.

The response:

“Unless the NCAA issues new guidance, here is how things stand at present.

The COVID guidance allowed student-athletes eligible for the waiver of seasons of competition/clock extension for their aid to be exempt for spring sports in the 2020-2021 academic year and for Fall/Winter sports in the 2021-2022 academic year. This has now expired and will return to normal. Any student-athletes we apply the COVID waiver to for seasons of competition/clock extension in the 2022-2023 academic year and beyond will count against the team’s scholarship limits.

Those who transferred into VT and we applied the COVID waiver did have to count against the team scholarship limits. While those who remained at VT and had the COVID waiver applied do not count against the team limits.”

I also realized I was mistaken about the kids who were freshmen in 2020-21. They do have a COVID year. I didn’t have them before. Otherwise, here is your answer.

Justyn Mutts and Keve Aluma, if they chose to return, WOULD count against Virginia Tech’s scholarship numbers in 2022-23.
[Post edited by David Cunningham at 03/24/2022 4:56PM]