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Bolingbrook's Borland tweets letter from Ohio State athletes as rebuttal to #BigTenUnited

Mark Gregory, Editorial Director | Last updated Aug 11, 2020 9:30am0
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Ohio State University captain and Bolingbrook graduate Tuf Borland Tweeted a letter Aug. 7 attributed to the the one put out by a group called #BIGTENUNITED just one day earlier.

In the original statement, #BIGTENUNITED wrote, "While we appreciate the Big Ten’s recently announced plan for the upcoming season, we believe that the conference’s proposal falls short in certain areas. Given that the players are the primary stakeholders in the business of college sports, we believe any course of action moving forward needs to include player input. We are deeply disappointed with the lack of leadership demonstrated by the NCAA with respect to player safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that the NCAA must — on its own and through collaboration with the conference — devise a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety and well-being of players leading up to and during the upcoming fall season.

"The NCAA — which is known for its zeal for regulations and enforcement — has had ample time to prepare for the safe return of its athletes to competition, yet it has done nothing. Its laissez-faire approach is forcing each conference and each school to create its own plan, resulting in inconsistent policies, procedures and protocols."

Some Buckeye's saw fault in that statement.

The Ohio State group released its statement, which in part read, "First, we appreciate that the #BigTenUnited letter was intended to protect and voice concerns of Big Ten student-athletes. However, we do not think it represents the efforts and actions of Ohio State adequately. While there are still plenty of questions to be answered and plans to be made in order to compete this fall, we believe that our safety has been at the forefront of our institutions efforts for return to play models.

"It has been said that college athletes are being "exploited" not only in the stated letter but also in the media. We recognize that there are risks, but we have all chose to be here and want the chance to play this fall. We know that there is still a long way to go as plans continue to change everyday, but we have a consistent voice in the discussion."

The full Ohio State student-athlete letter can be read below:

FULL OSU LETTER

o the college athletics community,

In response to the #BigTenUnited Letter written by College Athlete Unity, The Ohio State University student-athletes would like to give our thoughts on conference and university COVID-19 protocols and safety efforts.

We believe our institutions is providing the proper structure and organization for safety. Here at Ohio State, we #SetTheStandard for what college athletics should look like amid COVID-19.

First, we appreciate that the #BigTenUnited letter was intended to protect and voice concerns of Big Ten student-athletes. However, we do not think it represents the efforts and actions of Ohio State adequately. While there are still plenty of questions to be answered and plans to be made in order to compete this fall, we believe that our safety has been at the forefront of our institutions efforts for return to play models. We feel comfortable and trust that the decisions by Gene Smith (athletic director), Dr. Borchers (head physician), our coaches, and health and safety professionals are made in our best interest.

It has been said that college athletes are being "exploited" not only in the stated letter but also in the media. We recognize that there are risks, but we have all chose to be here and want the chance to play this fall. We know that there is still a long way to go as plans continue to change everyday, but we have a consistent voice in the discussion.

CDC and state guidelines have been the foundation of our protocols. Our university has been transparent in their goals and process as information is gathered. Testing, wearing masks, hand washing, and proper social distancing have become the new normal at Ohio State. As Buckeyes, we want this to be the standard across all Big Ten universities for the safety and well-being of our fellow student-athletes.

Every day we recognize the privilege of being a student-athlete at The Ohio State University. We have been reassured across many levels that we can opt out of playing this year if we feel unsafe or uncomfortable. We embrace the inherent risks that come with competing at a collegiate level. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we choose to represent our teams and the Big Ten at practices, during competition and in the community.


 

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