Ohio State Football Parents Want Answers From Big Ten
The Football Parents at Ohio State (FPAOS) are not happy that their sons won't be playing football this fall, so they're trying to do something about it. The parents group representing the Buckeye football team sent a letter to the Big Ten Conference office Saturday morning, protesting the canceled fall season and asking them to reconsider their decision.
Perhaps more than anything, the parents are looking for answers. Why was the season canceled now? Why wasn't it delayed? Why did the league put out a schedule and then pull the plug only six days later? What information did the Big Ten consider that led them to this decision, while three other Power 5 conferences are studying the same thing and they've decided its safe to continue playing football?
"It's unacceptable," Corey Teague told ESPN. He is the father of Ohio State running back Master Teague III. "It's something that needs more explanation because when you go in a certain direction and days later it changes, and no one has spoken to anyone else, and players weren't able to be involved in this decision, and the protocols that were put in by Ohio State were very successful. It's unfortunate and I don't know if it's shortsightedness there, lack of leadership, but it's definitely something that needs to be rectified and more dialogue needs to happen. It's just a very messy situation, and we want to clean it up."
In the extreme likelihood that the conference is not going to reverse its decision and suddenly let fall sports resume, parents want information on what a spring season will look like. Thus far, there haven't been many concrete details on a plan for playing after the calendar turns to January.
"There's been no communication, no transparency, nothing to say what has changed in the last five days that we give you your schedule and we cancel the season within five days," Kristina Miller, mother of OSU lineman Harry Miller, told ESPN. "There's been nothing."
"Similar to players having the opportunity to opt out if they choose, we feel like our teams should have that opportunity," Miller continued. "We're at a different level of Rutgers and Maryland. I don't mean that to sound pompous, it's just true. Our guys want to play. They want to play and they should have the opportunity to play if they want. They shouldn't be subjected to this vote, yes or no. Well, if you guys don't want to play, opt out. Opt your team out. Let the six teams that want to play, play."
The Ohio State parents aren't the only ones upset. A group of parents representing the Iowa Hawkeyes also sent a letter to the conference office asking similar questions on Friday.
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