ASU Football: Pac-12 Players Join Big Ten for the #WeAreUnited Movement to Try and Save the Season
The virtual gridiron never disappoints.
Over the weekend, whispers swirled of power five conferences beginning to prepare for postponements and/or cancellations across all fall sports, as setting up conference calls and virtual meetings to discuss final procedures appeared all but imminent. (Pac-12 Presidents set to meet Tuesday, August 11th, but could change any moment)
Through Sunday afternoon, news spread like wildfire that college football (at least this season) was all but dead. If we were watching a football game, COVID-19 would be winning in a blowout as fans and prominent conference heads alike dash to the exits to beat traffic.
Movements such as the Pac-12’s #WeAreUnited and the Big Ten’s #WeWantToPlay were originally shrugged off by their respective persons in power. With the start of college football season slowly approaching while simultaneously distancing from reality thanks to reports of cancellations, it appeared as if the funeral for traditional Saturdays across the country was being planned.
Just as the last ounce of hope was squeezed out of a season happening, collegiate football players rallied.
Players across the country realized there is strength in numbers.
We’re not quite sure what the score is, or how much time is left, but the players of power five football are moving the chains. Sunday evening brought the hashtags #WeWantToPlay and #WeAreUnited trending together on twitter, as players from across the country featuring Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and seemingly every player in between made their voices heard on wanting to play the upcoming season.
“Trevor Lawrence & I got together with representatives from every Power 5 conference via Zoom Call and this is what we decided upon,” said Clemson football player Darien Rencher on Twitter.
“Pac 12 movement and #BigTenUnited were in collaboration with us. All together — a step toward one collective voice.”
College coaches also voiced their opinion with their own hashtag, #WeWantToCoach.
Now, it appears as if players from across the college football landscape are attempting to unionize in hopes of securing a football season among a handful of other issues that have plagued the NCAA for far too long.
As of now, the dust has yet to begin settling on what looks to be a monumental moment for college football. With the formation of a union between players of all five major power conferences still relatively fresh, details and fine print of the overall plan to unionize are still brewing. However, it’s more apparent than ever that coaches, players, media and fans oh-so badly want every possible scenario exhausted before losing a coveted part of our country’s culture.
With meetings already scheduled to discuss big decisions within the next few days, it appears as if conference commissioners now have added pressure in a time where the public eye rests on them now more than ever, thanks to an overwhelming amount of players making their voices heard.
On the virtual gridiron where players and prominent conference figures regularly clash, a lot of uncertainty remains. Despite the newfound wave of unity from their players, decision-makers of college football’s highest degree may opt to still pass on a fall football season.
For the first time in what feels like an eternity, however: Hope exists. Thanks to the players who voiced their opinions in times where it may be looked down upon by their superiors, momentum appears to have swung in the mightiest of ways.
Time will tell if the hail-mary efforts by the players will be followed by successful discussions and sound review from college football’s ultimate powers.