AUBURN | Conor Davis wants to finish what he started. It’s why he returned for his senior season at Auburn, and it’s why he is considering returning for a second senior year after this season ended abruptly three weeks ago due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

There’s just one big hangup — the cost.

“I just think that, if I did come back — that’s why I wanted to play so much this year, being able to finish what we stared and when I came in my freshman year,” Davis said during a teleconference. “And part of me wants to still finish that. I don’t want to stop playing. I don’t want to stop playing at Auburn. It’s been such a great experience.

“But at the same time, you know, the financial part of it kind of stinks.”

Public NCAA schools like Auburn must divide 11.7 scholarships among a 30-man roster. The maximum for most players is 50 percent, but many get much less. The NCAA ruled this week that seniors in spring sports could return at the same scholarship level or less without impacting the 11.7, but that’s still a lot of money out of pocket for Davis and his family if he was to return for another full year at Auburn.

Davis, who is on track to graduate in Public Administration in May, has other options. He could enter the MLB Draft, which has been pushed back to July. But it may be shortened to five or 10 rounds with the maximum undrafted players can sign for cut to $20,000. He could begin his post-playing career and pursue an offer in the insurance industry or as a coach.

There’s also the NCAA Student Assistance Fund, which could help Davis and other seniors with their finances if they choose to return. Clearly, there’s still a lot of uncertainty and decisions that need to be made, which is something Davis speaks with Auburn coach Butch Thompson about on a regular basis.

“I know he wanted to talk at the end of this week just to see, he just wants to see what’s the best for me,” Davis said. “He’s like, ‘Do you want me to go sell you to other teams that you’d sign for $20,000 or do you want me to really push and make whatever money is available for you to come back here?’ He just wants to know what me and my family think is best for me.

“I really don’t think he’s trying to push a decision right now just because we can’t really do anything regardless about next year until next year. We have another month and summer starts and the school year will be over so I think he’s trying to just feel everything out. He thinks there’s going to be a couple of more decisions made that are going to clarify a bunch of stuff, but I think he just wants us to give him a kind of direction in which we’re leaning.”

Davis has spent the last three weeks visiting with his girlfriend in Florida and back at home. Even more than three weeks removed from what may have been his final college game, Davis still feels the pain.

“Just my season getting cutoff, it really hit pretty hard,” he said. “I honestly, for a couple of days, it didn’t even hit me. When Coach Thompson told us, he sent us home, I sat there and I didn’t really talk to the coaches, I didn’t really talk to anybody. I kind of went to the meetings and just left just thinking, ‘Is this really it? Is this really how it’s going to end?’ And then it’s just been tough.

“After every decision that’s been made with everything else, trying to think every option I have and just weigh out what’s best for me and my future, whether it’s baseball or not.”