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ESPN Senior Writer
Graduate of Northwestern University.
A group of Pac-12 football players from numerous schools is threatening to opt out of both preseason camps and games until its negotiations with the league concerning issues about racial oppression, their security throughout the coronavirus other and pandemic needs are finished.
A text message obtained by ESPN says the groups objective is to “obtain a written agreement with the Pac- 12 that lawfully guarantees we are offered the following defenses and benefits.”
The groups list of demands, according to the text message, includes safe play amid the pandemic, fighting racial injustice, securing economic rights and reasonable settlement, securing all sports and getting long-term health insurance coverage.
Individuals acquainted with the groups objective told ESPN that the main issue it wishes to address with the league and its schools is racial injustice.
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College football reporter.
Mark Schlabach
Senior college football writer
Author of seven books on college football
Graduate of the University of Georgia
Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
Adam Rittenberg
1 RelatedThe gamers prepare to make a public “declaration of unity” and a list of their needs as early as Sunday through standard and social media.
The Pac-12 said in a declaration Saturday that it had yet to speak with the group.
” Neither the Conference nor our university athletics departments have been gotten in touch with by this group regarding these topics,” a Pac-12 declaration stated. As we have plainly specified with regard to our fall competition strategies, we are, and always will be, directed by medical experts, with the health, safety and well being of our student professional athletes, coaches and staff always the first concern.
Ramogi Huma, the founder and president of the National College Players Association, is assisting the gamers in arranging the possible boycott, sources informed ESPN. Huma, a former linebacker at UCLA, has actually been an advocate of college professional athletes rights.
A staff member at a Pac-12 football program informed ESPN that the motion is “real” and includes potentially numerous gamers.
A UCLA player gotten in touch with by ESPN said Bruins group leaders planned to meet and talk about the possible boycott Saturday.
A person familiar with the Pac-12 project said players from Cal, Oregon, Stanford and UCLA and other schools are included. The person stated at least a few of the leagues head coaches knew the prospective boycott and have individually gauged their teams involvement, which has differed from campus to campus.
Among the players issues are that they are being reminded school for practices and games when a handful of Pac-12 schools, including Cal, UCLA and USC, have told most, if not all, of the student body to remain home and take classes online this fall due to the fact that of the coronavirus pandemic. Stanford is bringing just half of its undergraduates back to campus for the fall quarter.
On Friday, the Pac-12 authorized a 10-game, conference-only fall schedule for football that is scheduled to begin on Sept. 26. Each team will play 5 home and five roadway video games, and the Pac-12 champion is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 18 or 19. The conference title video game will be hung on school and not at the NFLs new arena in Las Vegas, as formerly prepared.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott conceded it “might not be possible” to play even a 10-game schedule by Dec. 19– or that the spring might be needed to complete it.
Sept. 26, play an enhance of a minimum number of games we feel would be required for a College Football Playoff, and we might begin however not be able to complete, and then we will have to change.”
Half of the leagues schools– Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA and USC– lie in states with surging coronavirus cases.
“We realize at the minute, those are real hotspots, and the requisite authorities and approvals are not there yet,” Scott said.
With its delayed start to the season, the Pac-12 prepares to enter the “boosted summer gain access to” period as early as Aug. 3, followed by the start of its main training school as early as Aug. 17.
ESPNs Tom VanHaaren added to this report.
” Neither the Conference nor our university athletics departments have actually been gotten in touch with by this group concerning these topics,” a Pac-12 declaration stated. As we have plainly specified with regard to our fall competition strategies, we are, and constantly will be, directed by medical experts, with the health, safety and well being of our trainee athletes, coaches and personnel constantly the first top priority. On Friday, the Pac-12 approved a 10-game, conference-only fall schedule for football that is set up to start on Sept. 26. Each group will play five home and five road video games, and the Pac-12 championship is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 18 or 19. 26, play an enhance of a minimum number of games we feel would be required for a College Football Playoff, and we may begin but not be able to finish, and then we will have to change.”
