You can tell how concerned they are by the demands they make.
In threatening a boycott of the football season Sunday, a group of Pac-12 players characterized their demands in sweeping terms.
According to one of them, Dallas Hobbs of Washington State, the most pressing need is for an assurance of safety amid the cononavirus pandemic.
“The COVID concern isn’t something we want to be negotiated,” the junior defensive lineman told ESPN. “The other stuff is definitely a lot to handle, and it’s definitely going to take some time to negotiate.”
Hobbs was one of 13 football players in the conference who attached their names to the demands, announced in an article on The Players Tribune website and in a news release. The players said they will sit out the season if the demands aren’t met, and one of them told the Associated Press they represent more than 400 players in the league.
The demands include a 50-percent share of each sport’s conference revenue, an expanded window of eligibility, the protection of nonrevenue sports from the chopping block and an increased emphasis on racial justice.