Pac-12 and Big Ten have already joined the riot to fight for their rights and freedoms
COVID-19 has almost destroyed the 2020 football season and college athletes may become the first to revolt against new rules. Around 1,400 football players from the Big Ten and Pac-12 have provided their separate demands to the public. Their main message is to be respected during the COVID-19 and be protected from any financial changes due to the pandemic.
A list of demands from “College Athlete Unity”, which represents Big Ten players in this revolution, has already been released on Wednesday. On Sunday, Pac-12 athletes also issued an even longer list of demands under the hashtag #WeAreUnited.
They demand, they threaten and they fight for their rights. Even if the demands are different, the message is pretty clear. College athletes are on the verge of revolution.
To make the adults happy, players have to perform and gather revenues for their universities. Nevertheless, clumsy attempts to fit in the 2020 season amid the pandemic are not successful.
As result, with no almost no flow of money, athletes’ salaries and maintenance of the facilities have become a noticeable burden. As a result, big stakeholders push the players to play the game even without proper protection and medical coverage from the pandemic.
Nevertheless, the pandemic is not only the reason why players want changes. Athletes demand from big-money bosses to take responsibility and acknowledge the global problems that have brewing in the industry for so long.
It’s true that athletes have never had better conditions to play in the history of football. At the same time, they do not want to settle for that when their life is at risk. One more thing that made players stand up for their rights is the tragedy of George Floyd. In the sport, where 45% of players are African-Americans, this tragedy showed up injustice in American society.
The Pac-12 and Big Ten have the same demands regarding the main topic — COVID-19. They demand that third-parties should overlook the COVID-19 testing process and it should be sufficient penalties for those who do not comply.
Commissioners make millions of dollars and athletic directors also have their paycheck in six figures when it comes to football. Nevertheless, without athletes to perform, all people who make their business on football will get nothing.
Athletes know that and that’s why they demand to be heard and change some rules in the industry. Apart from the pandemic, there are also other social calls presented in the various manifestos, like ending the social and racial injustice within the industry, and protect all sports by eliminating excessive payments for the “lavish life”.
The brewing revolution can change the world of football in the next months. A lot of experts believe that it’s only the beginning and the situation may only escalate because players and stakeholders can’t find a common ground in many questions.
