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Little League star Mo'ne Davis's Chevy commercial won't affect NCAA eligibility

Kirby Lee / Reuters

A commercial that aired during Game 1 of the World Series left many scratching their heads given the current climate surrounding the amateur status of college athletes.

Mo'ne Davis, a 13-year-old pitcher who gained notoriety for her outstanding performance in this year's Little League World Series, appeared in a Spike Lee-directed, 60-second commercial for Chevrolet on Tuesday night.

Onlookers were quick to wonder if the spot would impact Davis's intentions to play in the college ranks down the road, but the NCAA was quick to quash those concerns.

"Mo'ne Davis may be paid for appearing in the Chevy commercial without impacting her NCAA eligibility," NCAA spokeswoman Emily James said in a statement, as reported by ESPN.

The NCAA Division I membership was updated to include more flexibility on eligibility standards in January.

"The NCAA staff's decision was made within this process and based on a combination of considerations," James said. "This waiver narrowly extends the rules - which allow Davis to accept the payment and still be eligible in any other sport - to include baseball. The NCAA staff also considered the historically limited opportunities for women to participate in professional baseball. 

"In addition, Davis is much younger than when the vast majority of the prospect rules apply. While this situation is unusual, the flexible approach utilized in this decision is not."

Davis found her way onto the NCAA's radar back in August, when she was contacted by UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma, who called Davis following a Little League World Series interview in which she stated her desire to attend the University of Connecticut.

In an interview on WFAN on Tuesday, Lee said that all of Davis's advertising money "goes into a trust fund" and that she needs to take advantage of her moment now before beginning the NCAA eligibility process.

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