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Iowa Parents Say Warren's Response Was 'Unacceptable'

Group issues statement "firmly" rejecting Wednesday's statement by the Big Ten commissioner.

Parents of Iowa football players say they "firmly reject" the explanation from Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren on why the fall sports seasons were postponed didn't go far enough.

In a statement released Thursday morning, the parents said that Warren and the conference's presidents and chancellors "have once again failed to address our questions and concerns and therefore their response is unacceptable."

"The lack of transparency, hypocrisy, and failure of leadership gives us no confidence in this decision, or future decisions," the parents said.

The Big Ten postponed its fall seasons, including football, on August 11, six days after the conference released its 10-game conference-only football schedule.

The conference is hoping to play the fall sports season in the spring.

Warren said in a statement released Wednesday that the decision "will not be revisited."

The statement from the Iowa parents:

"The Iowa Hawkeye Football Parents firmly reject BIG10 Commissioner Warren's Press Release dated 8-19-2020.

"Commissioner Warren & Presidents have once again failed to address our questions and concerns and therefore their response is unacceptable.

"BIG10 players, who have sacrificed so much, deserve better. BIG10 parents and fans deserve better. The athletes that will suffer due to the economic impact of this decision and the loss of opportunity to realize their dreams are in our thoughts and our prayers. They are not blind to the risks of playing and never have been.

"Collectively, we demand better of the BIG10.

"That said, our parent representatives are still going to the BIG10 HQ this Friday as planned.

"It is our hope that parents representing the players of all BIG10 schools will do the same so their voices can be heard.

"Lastly, we support the Freedom of Informaon Act Request (FOIA) initiative that has been discussed in the media. We trust this inquiry will get the answers we all so desperately need. If it reveals that our players and the truth have been misrepresented by the BIG10, we believe there should be consequences."