Thanks to the coronavirus, he was right: In March, the California Community College Athletic Association announced it was cancelling all spring sports, mirroring a similar decision by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which oversees university sports.

The abrupt cancellation dashed the hopes of an estimated 9,500 student athletes who’d flocked to California’s well-known community college sport league — some paying up to $10,000 a year in out-of-state tuition in a quest to be noticed by recruiters from top Division 1 teams.

With athletic recruiting disrupted, community college teams could see a glut of players vying for spots next year, making that dream even harder to achieve.

But the NCAA has extended eligibility for athletes impacted by the cancelation of spring competition, meaning college seniors could return to their spring athletic programs for an extra year.

Fewer available spots on Division 1 teams mean that community college athletes who don’t get their desired offers to transfer might decide to stay in the CCCAA, which has also offered players an extra season of eligibility.