Utah football players stand with the #WeAreUnited movement

Announced on Sunday afternoon, Pac-12 players are starting the #WeAreUnited movement regarding health and safety, racial injustice and economic equality — and a handful of Utes stand with them

Sunday afternoon was not as peaceful as some people would've liked the day before Utah players began team activities.

Led by Oregon safety Jevon Holland (the most prominent player as a media contact) the Pac-12 football players announced on Sunday they will opt out of any upcoming training camps and games unless the conference negotiates with them and reaches a legal agreement regarding health and safety practices, while also addressing issues of racial injustice and economic inequality. 

“We’re not your entertainment, we’re human beings,” Holland told SI. “Just like you would help your family, we want to help our mother, father, grandmother, everyone. We don’t know the long-term risks. We have no idea how it’s going to affect our body regardless if we show symptoms or not. I refuse to put my health at risk for somebody else’s benefit.”

While no Utah player was listed as a media contact for the #WeAreUnited movement, it didn't stop a handful of Utes tweeting out their support for the movement.

Among the 20+ players to voice their opinions on social media, none held more stock than senior quarterback Jake Bentley and senior offensive lineman Nick Ford — two players who have never been shy to voice their opinions before.

Bentley, who is currently locked in a fierce battle for the starting spot with Drew Lisk and Cam Rising, not only tweeted out his support for the movement, he also posted a message on Twitter saying that he will not sit out the season if the players' demands aren't met.

In his message on Twitter, Bentley said...

"I believe change needs to happen. I fully and wholeheartedly support my brothers from around the Pac-12 that are fighting for change. These unprecedented times have put a strain on everyone involved. I’m so excited to how impactful this push for change will be. I’ve fought through a lot to be here in this moment, and given the circumstances of my situation and battling back from injury, I fully plan on playing football this season,” Bentley tweeted in part. “I’ve talked to teammates about this who fully support me, just as I fully support them. I can’t wait to enjoy my last year of college football as a Utah Ute.”

Ford also posted a message on Twitter, saying that he is the leader of the movement representing the University of Utah. But he also said that in no way was him joining the movement a poor look at what Utah has done to provide health services to its players, as Ford praised the work of head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff for keeping the players safe.

The descion for my teammates to play or not, is their decision. The descion for me to play or not, is mine. I am a spokesperson for the University of Utah athletes who believe in points on the list. I did it to lead those who want to have a voice at this university.

— Nick Ford 🇵🇹 (@NickFord55) August 2, 2020

I must in fact state that @UtahCoachWhitt and @Utah_Football has been doing a great job keeping track of our health. We are in it to demand that all schools get the same care and a safe environment. Big shout out to everyone who has kept us safe so far!

— Nick Ford 🇵🇹 (@NickFord55) August 2, 2020

Following the release of demands on Sunday, the Pac-12 released a statement of its own regarding the topic. The University of Utah has yet to release a statement on the matter.

“Neither the conference nor our university athletics departments have been contacted by this group regarding these topics,” the Pac-12 statement read. “We support our student-athletes using their voice, and have regular communications with our student-athletes at many different levels on a range of topics. As we have clearly stated with respect to our fall competition plans, we are, and always will be, directed by medical experts, with the health, safety and well being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff always the first priority. We have made it clear that any student-athlete who chooses not to return to competition for health or safety reasons will have their scholarship protected.”

Among the 20+ athletes to tweet out support, those joining Bentley and Ford are expected starters in linebacker Devin Lloyd, wide receiver Solomon Enis, offensive lineman Bamidele Olaseni and star incoming freshman Clark Phillips, a four-star cornerback who's expected to start.

#WeAreUnited

— Clark Phillips lll (@ClarkPhillips21) August 2, 2020

While all of the players have expressed their support for the movement, it's still unclear if any of them actually plan on sitting out if the demands aren't met.

Those goals/demands consist of; 1.) Health and safety protections, 2.) Protection of all sports, 3.) End racial injustice in college sports and society, and 4.) Economic freedom and equality. The players want all of these demands for anybody wearing a college uniform, meaning for both scholarship and walk-on athletes.

A separate Sports Illustrated article details what the NCAA has been doing to players for decades and how the current civil rights movement is changing the way life will ever be moving forward.

The NCAA has long marginalized athletes who make millions for many except themselves, but perhaps no situation has spotlighted the absurdity of the enterprise as much as the coronavirus pandemic. In some cases, schools are asking students to stay at home and take classes online while still asking athletes to play football games. Other schools are asking players to sign waivers absolving them of any liability involving COVID. The universities are making decisions without formalized input from players—unlike the return of every other sport—because the conference commissioners, athletic directors and coaches have too much money on the line not to play.

And all of this is happening against the backdrop of a civil rights movement that’s perhaps drawing more attention than ever to the plight of Black Americans. The NCAA announced in July it would allow athletes to wear social justice slogans on the backs of their jerseys in 2020–21. Meanwhile, the majority Black labor force of the highest-revenue generating sports (football and men’s basketball) are losing the opportunity to create generational wealth because all the money is hoarded by a select few.

“We’re trying to empower the lives of our teammates, change their lives and change the trajectory of their families’ lives,” Elisha Guidry, a defensive back at UCLA, told SI. “Especially Black lives. That’s who mostly make up these sports, and are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.”

“If you look at history throughout this country, there hasn’t been change without ruffling feathers,” Guidry added. “Not everybody is going to want change because otherwise it would have happened already. People are going to have strong opinions. You wish you could talk to everybody and have a civil conversation and broaden their perspective. You have to do what you know is the right thing.”

As a result of the players’ collective action, the NCAA has an opportunity to do the right thing and meet them at the table for an honest negotiation. Earlier this summer, at the height of the protests over the police killing of George Floyd, the NCAA released a statement saying president Mark Emmert recognized the power of protest in creating societal change.

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