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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Look out Michigan football fans: a Big Ten protest may be coming near you, and it seems you’re invited.
Last Friday, a group of 30-something football parents gathered at Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois to protest the conference’s lack of transparency in the postponement of the 2020 fall college football season, and Michigan had one representative in Melissa Hutchinson, mother of junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
The Hutchinson family — Melissa, Aidan and father Chris, a former Wolverines standout defensive end himself — has been rather outspoken about the season postponement, especially as Chris, an ER doctor, has stated that the Big Ten’s claim that it’s unsafe for players to play in the current coronavirus atmosphere insufficient.
Now it seems that they’re working to get more than just parents and players involved.
Though the parents across the conference sent commissioner Kevin Warren a letter this week under the banner ‘Big Ten Parents United,’ the Hutchinsons aren’t stopping there. According to Aidan, Melissa is helping organize a broader protest on what would have been Michigan’s season opener on Sept. 5.
Details are still to be determined, however.
“I was talking to my mom and she’s organizing this protest, I believe, which would have been the date of our first game,” Hutchinson said. “I don’t know where it’s gonna be. Maybe by The Big House. I don’t think this has even been disclosed yet or brought up. She’s planning that. She wants fans to come, players. She wants to see how many parents will come. We want to plan this protest in order to shine some light upon this issue.”
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As far as what players and parents want, it’s not just a reversal on the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the fall season. They want to be a part of the conversation and they also want more transparency from the league.
Aidan says that right now, the voices of those affected most aren’t being heard or considered.
“As much as we want to make change and as much as we want to play, it won’t come down to us, sadly. It’s gonna come down to the commissioner and the presidents. It’s all just out of our hands. Whatever we say has such a little impact on the decisions that will be made by the commissioner and the presidents.”
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