I’m not sure why this issue has caused so much confusion. College athletes get 4 years of eligibility. Last year didn’t count towards those 4 years. Whether an athlete played last season (Dorka at tOSU), decided not to play (Maya Dodson at Stanford) or had the decision made for them by their school/conference (Abby Meyers at Princeton), an athlete still only gets 4 years of eligibility, not including last season, which doesn’t count for anyone.
The only unfairness I perceive in this process involves HS recruits from the classes of 2021-2024 who may lose PT sitting behind 5th year players.