Dear fellow MoveOn member,
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that includes 1,098 colleges and universities and 102 athletic conferences, has not suspended its fall 2020 intercollegiate athletics season.1 The NCAA is risking the health of student-athletes, their peers and families, and their fans and communities.
The Ivy League has gone ahead and suspended its fall sports season, stating, "We simply do not believe we can create and maintain an environment for intercollegiate athletic competition that meets our requirements for safety and acceptable levels of risk."2
The NCAA must protect student-athletes by cancelling the fall sports season.
Suspending college sports in the fall might be difficult economically and culturally, but it's what has to happen to protect student-athletes and prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in our communities.
Ohio State University recently had a COVID-19 breakout in its athletic department.3 So did the University of North Carolina, the University of Maryland, and Rutgers University.4,5 The situation is so dire that some colleges and universities are requiring student-athletes to sign waivers to protect the schools from liability if the student-athletes contract COVID-19 while participating in team activities.6
This is outrageous: College athletes shouldn't have to sign away their rights and risk their health or risk losing their scholarships.
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, the NCAA—which made more than $1 billion last year from college athletes—must suspend the fall sports season and prioritize the health of college athletes over profits.7
The NCAA must do the right thing and suspend fall sports to protect student-athletes.
Thanks!
–Ryan Patrick
Sources:
1. "What is the NCAA?" NCAA, accessed July 13, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/141028?t=10&akid=268594%2E10220574%2EXd-GWQ
2. "Ivy League Outlines Intercollegiate Athletics Plans; No Competition in Fall Semester," The Ivy League, July 8, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/141024?t=12&akid=268594%2E10220574%2EXd-GWQ
3. "Ohio State shuts down college sports workouts after receiving results of COVID-19 testing," USA Today, July 8, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/141029?t=14&akid=268594%2E10220574%2EXd-GWQ
4. Ibid.
5. "N.J. coronavirus update: Maryland, Rutgers' closest Big Ten rival, is 2nd conference team to stop football workouts due to COVID-19," MSN, July 13, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/141030?t=16&akid=268594%2E10220574%2EXd-GWQ
6. "Senate Dems Tackle Coronavirus Waivers For College Athletes," Law360, July 1, 2020 https://act.moveon.org/go/141032?t=18&akid=268594%2E10220574%2EXd-GWQ
7. "How will NCAA recoup millions from lost tournament?" Associated Press, March 17, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/141033?t=20&akid=268594%2E10220574%2EXd-GWQ
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