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 restored require the formation of a players association for college athletes, was critical of the conferences handling of Tuesdays decision to postpone and described ask for professional athletes whose sports have been stopped briefly.
” It is apparent that the Pac-12 was woefully unprepared to protect college professional athlete safety in reaction to COVID-19 and might not deal with the basic and important security demands made by #WeAreUnited,” the group said in the declaration, which was crucial of the conferences absence of openness in making Tuesdays choice. College athletes are worthy of and need a real voice in the kind of a gamers association.”
While the Pac-12 professional athletes will wait until at least January prior to resuming competitive activities, the unity group noted 3 primary requests for conference leadership to address: conservation of athletic eligibility, continued access to support (medical, scholastic, meals for those who stay on campus) and making all athletic-related activities optional till consistent health and security standards are mandated conference-wide.
2 RelatedMost of what the professional athletes requested has already been addressed by the Pac-12. Its unclear how well things have actually been interacted to the athletes.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said throughout a webinar to talk about the post ponement that the conference will lobby strongly to the NCAA for 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 gave eligibility to impacted professional athletes, however the decision to honor that eligibility was left as much as private schools.
Medical care, academic support services and meals for professional athletes will continue to be provided as they would have been if there had actually been a fall season, a conference source confirmed to ESPN.
The Pac-12 has actually made it clear that its athletes will keep their scholarships, Scott said choices about how to support them without competitive activities will be made on a campus-to-campus basis.
” Theyll be able to continue with the 20 hours thats liberal [every week], however I believe all of our school will have 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 disappointment with its understanding of how seriously the conference has managed communication.
” Throughout our dealing with Pac-12 leadership, the rights of college professional athletes were not taken seriously by Conference leadership,” the statement stated. “When we raised issues over the lack of enforceable health and wellness requireds in the conference as a prerequisite to a season, we were met hostility.”
Asked about the interactions with the Pac-12 unity group Tuesday, Scott accepted Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson.
” It is obvious that the Pac-12 was woefully unprepared to protect college athlete security in reaction to COVID-19 and might not attend to the fundamental and necessary safety demands made by #WeAreUnited,” the group stated in the statement, which was vital of the conferences absence of openness in making Tuesdays choice. “The Pac-12s failures have actually made it clear that the time for change is now. College professional athletes are worthy of and require a genuine voice in the type of a players association.”
, but I think all of our school will have to go back and look at whats in the finest interest in supporting them,” Scott said.
” We thought it was productive. We were listening to their issues, therefore we will have follow-up discussions with them as proper as this entire circumstance develops,” Anderson said. “There have been a ton of things we have been dealing with and speaking about, and well circle back for sure.”
Also Tuesday, the Big Ten postponed all fall sports seasons, consisting of football, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, with the hopes of playing in the spring. In response to the news, a Big Ten player informed ESPN that “were presently talking about and processing the info what steps we will take moving forward.”
ESPNs Tom VanHaaren added to this report.
