Cornell has announced that senior men’s lacrosse player Jeff Teat has been granted a fifth-year eligibility waiver through the Ivy League Office. Teat will take a leave of absence during the fall 2020 semester before returning to complete his degree requirements and rejoin the Big Red men’s lacrosse team in January to use his final year of eligibility during the spring 2021 semester.

“We are thrilled that Jeff will be returning to Cornell next season,” said Connor Buczek, The Richard M. Moran Head Coach of Men’s Lacrosse. “He is a generational talent that makes everyone around him better, as well as an incredible teammate that works diligently both on and off the field. His leadership will be a great benefit for our entire program, and we couldn’t be more excited that he will be in Red for one more season.”

Teat is a two-time Tewaaraton Trophy Nominee, three-time USILA All-American, and four-time Inside Lacrosse Media All-American. He has received All-Ivy accolades on three occasions, including unanimous first-team All-Ivy selections in 2018 and 2019. During the 2020 campaign, Teat moved into third all-time in career points (268) at Cornell, also sitting third in the Big Red record books in career assists (152) and ninth in career goals (116). He is just one of two players in Cornell history to post three-straight 30-goal, 30-assist seasons and is just one of four to amass 70 points in three-consecutive campaigns from 2017-19. Teat is also just the eighth player in Ivy League history to score 250 career points.

“Cornell has always been a special place to me, and due to COVID-19, our journey this year was unfortunately cut short,” said Teat. “Thankfully, I have been given another opportunity to compete for a National Championship with this program, and that is something I just couldn’t turn down. With that said, I am very excited to return to Cornell for the 2021 season.”

Under Ivy rules, eligibility beyond four calendar years requires approval of the Executive Director. Among other factors, approval is contingent upon the student having an academic enrollment plan that is approved by institutional academic officials. Teat worked with university advisors to develop an academic plan that would allow him to complete remaining degree requirements, as well as additional coursework that supports his career goals, during the spring 2021 semester.