Colorado State has halted all football operations amid allegations of racism and verbal abuse in the athletics department, and particularly on the football team, the university announced on Friday.
Per the school's announcement, that includes practices, workouts and team meetings.
"Colorado State University is committed to being an anti-racist university, and we will not tolerate any behavior or climate that goes against that core value," CSU athletic director Joe Parker said in a statement. "Moreover, CSU Athletics is committed to the health and wellbeing of student-athletes above all other priorities, and this includes their mental health. We believe it is our responsibility to make sure that all student-athletes feel welcomed and valued as members of an inclusive athletics community."
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Racism and verbal abuse are not the only allegations the football team has faced this week. The school announced on Tuesday that it is investigating claims (via the Fort Collins Coloradoan) that coaches shirked established COVID-19 protocols. The Coloradoan, citing 10 unnamed players and staff members within the team, reported that coaches directed players to hide coronavirus symptoms, threatened them with limited playing time if they quarantined and tampered with contact tracing reports so players could continue to practice. Those sources confirmed that 27 players were missing from the team before the Rams' last practice on July 29.
Steve Addazio, who joined the Rams program in December after several years coaching at Boston College, released a statement in response to the Coloradoan's report:
"We have developed a comprehensive COVID-19 prevention plan in collaboration with the University's Pandemic Preparedness Team which includes specific, strictly enforced processes and procedures to build and maintain a culture of safety, compliance and responsibility to all members of the football program and the community," Addazio said. "The health and welfare of our student-athletes on the Colorado State football team is our top priority, and I fully support President McConnell's investigation into concerns about whether these protocols were properly followed by everyone involved with our program."
Several players refuted the Coloradoan's claims on Tuesday, however, saying they had seen no evidence of illicit directives regarding COVID-19:
Coming from a player with a compromised immune system. I never once felt like @CSUFootball ever put me in jeopardy. I have felt very comfortable and safe while going through both voluntary and mandatory workouts. The allegations are not true.
— CWWGGM (@toddycenteio) August 4, 2020
Lots of misinformation. All coaches wear masks at all times. We fill out a symptom questionnaire daily before we are allowed into the facility. They even provided us w/ masks and wash them daily. The athletes/staffers that complained are the same ones not following protocol https://t.co/AeJu3cH3Mw
— Toby McBride (@tobymcb) August 4, 2020
Name the sources. Cause when I was sick I was urged to call the trainer right away lol. And we have a team meeting every morning stressing the importance of doing the right things. So I’m calling bs https://t.co/sxmMjCwY7q
— Scott Patchan (@scott_patchan) August 4, 2020
