UNLV, Mountain West football players form coalition amid coronavirus

Mountain West football players have formed a coalition called Mountain West United and are seeking certain assurances and protections before they return to the football field this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The coalition wasannounced Thursday night via Twitter and its requests center around stringent coronavirus testing and eligibility and scholarship guarantees. UNLV’s Austin Ajiake, Jalen Graves and Timothy Mosley are among those who voiced their support via Twitter.

“As the foundation of the entertainment and competition provided by the sport of Gridiron Football, we, the athletes, do not feel safe participating in the upcoming season without reform,” the players said in their announcement. “There is too much ambiguity surrounding the state of affairs to demand competition as we know it.

“The last four months have altered the lives of not just Americans, but the human race. We have families and children just like any fan, coach, citizen or worker. The virus is real and rampant in this country.”

Players from the Pac-12 and Big Ten have also formed coalitions seeking similar assurances ahead of the 2020 college football season. Specific requests from Mountain West players include weekly coronavirus testing and testing at least 72 hours before competition. Players also want their eligibility preserved should they opt out of the season or contract the virus and miss games.

Mountain West officials responded to the demands, saying “nearly all of the issues which have been raised are already being addressed.”

The league says its sports plan aligns with the requirements of the NCAA’s Board of Governors, and that it’s continuing to develop “comprehensive testing and reporting procedures.”

“The Mountain West and its member institutions value the input of our most important constituents, our student-athletes, and look forward to continued communication with our long-standing MW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee,” the conference said in a statement.

The Mountain West announced an amended schedule Wednesday that consists of eight conference games, plus two optional nonconference games. UNLV players were supposed to report to fall camp Thursday, but the amended schedule postponed the Rebels’ start date.

“As stated before, COVID-19 has dynamically changed the world. This includes us,” the players added. “We are more than athletes. We are United.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.