The Pac-12 and the #WeAreUnited athletes were reportedly going to have a second meeting this week after their initial meeting Thursday night. This is subject to change, but at press time, it remains on the calendar for the league and the athletes.
As we conclude this series featuring the views of Arizona State offensive lineman Cody Shear, we present his thoughts on what meaningful progress looks like. This view of progress is connected to a hypothetical in which the league and #WeAreUnited don’t make significant gains in the next month. What will happen if stagnation defines these talks in the middle of September? What changes then?
This is what Cody Shear had to say:
“With no meaningful progress, that’s going to be an issue, to say the least, as far as the Pac-12 players are concerned. There are a lot of players already opting out of playing. I can’t speak for all the players in this sense, but I will say there’s a lot of different variables that go into this decision-making process.
“There are a lot of guys who have the aspirations and the talent to go to the NFL. They might have one season left to play and go on to the NFL, but on the other hand there are a lot of us players that might not be a senior or a lot of players who might not make it to the NFL, and in college football, the time’s ticking. But as you know and as fans know as well as players do in this sense, there’s a lot of moving objects, and it’s hard to decide whether this 10-game schedule is legit…
“We know, being in Arizona, yes, it is a hot spot. Playing four games ruins a redshirt year for a football player. You’re talking to a bunch of college athletes who love football who might not have too much time left. They could potentially risk having their last season in college football cut short after just four games and never getting to put a helmet on again. It definitely makes you think twice and I think the players are recognizing that.”
*snip*
“It really comes down to what the players decide together — this starts and ends with the players. The players want to get together and have meetings directly with the Pac-12 and bring representatives from each team to talk with the Pac-12 and have these tough conversations. It’s gonna come down to knowing it when they see it (in terms of defining real progress) for a lot of these guys that are on the fence whether they’re playing or not. It’s gonna be another big conversation when the Pac-12 does get back to us. The ball is in the Pac-12’s court. Right now the players have released their statement and it’s a waiting game to see what they (the Pac-12) counter with.”