In the wake of the Pac-12s decision to put all sports on hold for at least the rest of 2020, the Pac-12 #WeAreUnited unity group released a declaration in which it renewed calls for the development of a gamers association for college professional athletes, was vital of the conferences handling of Tuesdays choice to postpone and laid out requests for professional athletes whose sports have been paused.
” It is obvious that the Pac-12 was woefully unprepared to protect college professional athlete safety in response to COVID-19 and could not deal with the fundamental and necessary safety demands made by #WeAreUnited,” the group said in the statement, which was crucial of the conferences lack of transparency in making Tuesdays choice. College athletes deserve and require a genuine voice in the form of a players association.”
While the Pac-12 athletes will wait until at least January prior to resuming competitive activities, the unity group listed 3 primary ask for conference management to address: conservation of athletic eligibility, continued access to assistance (medical, academic, meals for those who stay on school) and making all athletic-related activities optional until consistent health and safety requirements are mandated conference-wide.
2 RelatedMost of what the athletes requested for has actually already been addressed by the Pac-12. However, its uncertain how well things have actually been communicated to the professional athletes.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott stated throughout a webinar to go over the post ponement that the conference will lobby highly to the NCAA for professional athletes to keep their eligibility should the conference be not able to play a season in early 2021. After the NCAA canceled 2020 spring sports, it granted eligibility to affected professional athletes, however the choice to honor that eligibility was left as much as specific schools.
Healthcare, scholastic assistance services and meals for athletes will continue to be provided as they would have been if there had actually been a fall season, a conference source verified to ESPN.
The Pac-12 has actually made it clear that its athletes will keep their scholarships, Scott stated decisions about how to support them without competitive activities will be made on a campus-to-campus basis.
” Theyll have the ability to continue with the 20 hours thats liberal [every week], but I think all of our campus will need to go back and take a look at whats in the very best interest in supporting them,” Scott stated.
In addition to the demands, the unity group duplicated its frustration with its understanding of how seriously the conference has managed interaction.
” Throughout our handling Pac-12 management, the rights of college professional athletes were not taken seriously by Conference leadership,” the declaration stated. “When we raised issues over the absence of enforceable health and wellness mandates in the conference as a prerequisite to a season, we were met hostility.”
Inquired about the interactions with the Pac-12 unity group Tuesday, Scott postponed to Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson.
” We believed it was efficient. We were listening to their issues, therefore we will have follow-up conversations with them as proper as this entire circumstance progresses,” Anderson said. “There have been a lot of things we have actually been dealing with and talking about, and well circle back for sure.”
Tuesday, the Big Ten delayed all fall sports seasons, consisting of football, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, with the hopes of playing in the spring. In response to the news, a Big Ten gamer informed ESPN that “were presently processing the details and discussing what steps we will take moving on.”
ESPNs Tom VanHaaren added to this report.
” It is obvious that the Pac-12 was woefully unprepared to protect college professional athlete safety in response to COVID-19 and could not attend to the basic and essential security demands made by #WeAreUnited,” the group stated in the declaration, which was vital of the conferences absence of openness in making Tuesdays decision. “The Pac-12s failures have made it clear that the time for modification is now. College athletes deserve and need a real voice in the kind of a players association.”
, but I believe all of our school will have to go back and look at whats in the finest interest in supporting them,” Scott said.
