UM-Dearborn cancels sports through March 1, athletes trying to fight back
DEARBORN, Mich. (BVM) — The University of Michigan-Dearborn was the first college in the state of Michigan to postpone fall sports to the spring. Last week, they became the first in the state to essentially cancel the winter sports season as well.
Last Wednesday, the university announced that they would be canceling all sports competition through March 1. This effectively canceled UM-Dearbon’s men’s and women’s basketball seasons, as well as the school’s other winter sports — men’s and women’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s bowling.
Athletic director Matt Beaudry and Chancellor Domenico Grasso came to the decision to halt sports until March, citing health concerns as the main factor of doing so.
“This plan is consistent with the university’s approach to prioritize the health and safety of the campus community and it is aligned with the hybrid blend of remote and in-person teaching,” the school said in a statement.
UM-Dearborn will honor all athletic scholarships through the end of the 2020-21 academic year. Academic-wise, the school plans to hold virtual classes through the end of February as well, at which time they will reevaluate the situation.
“Although it will be disappointing not to see the Maize and Blue taking the court, ice, fields and other venues sooner, student-athletes coming back to campus and holding sporting events would be inconsistent with the decision to remain in a fully remote educational mode until the end of February,” the statement continued. “University leaders continue tracking COVID-19 and the predicted rise and fall of cases in our region, incorporating new information into all decision making. The university remains committed to the success of our student-athletes and will be honoring all athletic scholarships throughout the 2020-21 academic year while continuing to provide all support services.”
The school’s fieldhouse and wellness center will both be closed throughout the end of February as well, making anything athletes might need assistance with a virtual process.
UM-Dearborn is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school which competes in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. It will be interesting to see if other members in the conference or league follow suit, but right now, athletes at UM-Dearborn are seeing this decision as unfair, while their competitors still have an opportunity to play.
Because of this, shortly after the announcement was made, UM-Dearborn athletes created a petition to reinstate athletics, and allow winter sports to be played. As of Oct. 6, the petition has garnered over 3,800 signatures, with a goal of getting to 5,000.
One athlete in particular — senior basketball guard Jalen Paul — took to Twitter recently to voice his frustrations with his school, while also urging others to sign the petition that has been created.
Today the University of Michigan – Dearborn cancelled all sports through March 1, effectively cancelling the winter sports season. We are 1 of only 2 schools in the country to do so. Please sign and retweet the petition attached below and help us fight for what it right. pic.twitter.com/RQS47PM18N
— Jalen Paul (@JalenPaul4) September 30, 2020
“This decision was made because our administration here does not respect us as student athletes,” Paul said in the Twitter video. “They treat us as normal students who are just participating in extracurricular activities, and anybody that’s been a college athlete knows that this is not the case. The time, effort and dedication that we show on a daily basis, as well as the time, effort and dedication we have shown our whole lives to get to where we are, deserves more respect than our university is showing us. So, we as a group of student athletes are standing up to fight this.
“We’ve all gone through too much in our lives and sacrificed too much to have our seasons taken away.”
For a senior like Paul, he may never get a chance to play his sport collegiately again. Athletes will not be given an extra year of eligibility unless the NAIA steps in and proposes that option. But in the case of many, an extra year of eligibility wouldn’t work out regardless. Paul is a prime example, as he plans to end his athletic career and attend law school next year.
The school plans to reevaluate their situation in early February. But by March, even fall sports that were postponed until the spring — including men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball — should be getting ready to commence if they hadn’t already.
It was already difficult for athletes to see fall sports postponed several months. But to hear they might not play them at all would be heartbreaking. Spring sports like baseball, golf, and lacrosse could also see their schedules altered. Meanwhile, it appears the winter sports season just may be lost.
COVID-19 has unfortunately created this type of situation for collegiate athletics at numerous colleges and universities across the country. Both sides of the coin are easily understood. Athletes want to play for numerous reasons: their love of the sport, the passion for the team and the desire to win, just to name a few. But keeping people healthy and safe is also rightfully at the top of the priority list for athletic departments.
While UM-Dearborn was the first to postpone fall athletics in Michigan, many in the state ended up following suit. Now, it will be interested to see how many follow their lead once again as we approach the winter sports season.
