The NCAA decision is the right move, but it could be a costly one. Extending a scholarship for an additional season could further impact athletic department budgets even though a majority of baseball scholarships are partial, I think. (I'm assuming it's the same for track, tennis, golf, etc.) In reality, I still don't see a lot of seniors coming back next year unless they are baseball players likely to be drafted. A majority of seniors would not be drafted and probably have their careers & jobs lined up. For those seniors (& actually draftable juniors in baseball), this gets pretty complicated. MLB will be limited to as few as 5 rounds instead of the normal 40 under an agreement struck with the players association. Anyone not drafted would be a free agent but limited to a signing bonus of no more than $20,000. That probably will deter most non-seniors from going pro (if they aren't drafted in those first 5 rounds) and could persuade seniors likely to be drafted to stay in school. Of course, the really good players will be drafted in the first 5 rounds and probably sign. It's expected that most HS baseball players will go to college since only the very best will probably be drafted in the first 5 rounds.
Other considerations include the fact that scouts haven't had a chance to see much of players this spring....only a portion of the schedule was played. Also, seniors who opt to come back next year will be a year older, and that's always a consideration when MLB teams consider drafting someone or paying them premium bonuses.
Bottom line: every collegiate spring athlete is essentially redshirting this year. That's something no coach ever considered possible when they were recruiting next year's class. It's going to be interesting to see what happens.
Glad Cougar
