2:43
- ABC News
- August 5, 2020
NCAA protects scholarships for players who opt out
Fall championships may still be canceled by the NCAA due to coronavirus.
2:43
\"Our decisions place emphasis where it belongs -- on the health and safety of college athletes,\" NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. \"Student-athletes should never feel pressured into playing their sport if they do not believe it is safe to do so.\"
On the heels of Wednesday's news, the University of Connecticut Athletic Department said in a statement that its football program has decided to \"cancel all competition for the 2020-21 school year.\"
After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we've decided that @UConnFootball will not compete on the gridiron this season. https://t.co/R5dLlnFNo9
— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) August 5, 2020
UConn head football coach Randy Edsall told ABC News in an interview Wednesday that \"we came to the realization that this just wasn't gonna work from a health, safety and welfare standpoint of our student athletes.\"
\"With all the medical advice that we had gotten from our, our people from the state,\" he continued, \"we just felt that there was too much risk, and the reward wasn't there.\"
Among the other proclamations from the NCAA, there will be a new hotline for \"athletes, parents or others\" to report COVID-19 violations.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ncaa-logo-ap-jc-191029_hpEmbed_3x2_384.jpg\"){kind=logo}
This gives players a way to make the NCAA aware of unacceptable behavior by coaches who may be inclined to bully and/or to retaliate against those who would dare to complain.
NCAA sends an email to college leaders today saying fall championships will be decided no later than Aug. 21. Phone line will be established to allow \"athletes, parents or others\" to report alleged COVID failures on campuses.
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) August 5, 2020
Due to the continued threat of coronavirus infection, the NCAA said it could still cancel fall championships, which could pressure conferences and schools to forgo a college football season. The decision for Division I must be made no later than Aug. 21.
This report was featured in the Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.
\"Start Here\" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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