I checked in with a handful of parents on this to learn more about the process of opting out of the bowl game. I didn't get a consensus, which is interesting, but here is a summation of the responses:
Three said there was a vote, that it was a "team effort", it was a "team thing" and that the players voted for it. But interestingly, one said the players had no say in it and some were upset. So I don't know. I take from that, the leadership council or a group of veteran players met with Helton, Bohn, etc., and gave their input.
One parent reiterated the point I've made that the players made extraordinary sacrifices this year, effectively being in a bubble and unable to see their families since the summer. The difference between going 5-1 and 6-1 is really negligible. There's no fanfare for these bowl games, there's no traditional bowl experience. It would be nice to end the season on a better note than the Oregon game, but let's face it (and this is me interjecting my own thoughts) that was going to be very tough without Kedon Slovis. More to the point, though, you'd be asking the players to spend two more weeks in their bubble, unable to spend Christmas with their families, stuck eating some packaged Christmas dinner alone in their dorms, etc. I see this has become a major hot-button topic, but that's the point that resonates above all else for me. That's why 20-some teams made the same decision.
Three said there was a vote, that it was a "team effort", it was a "team thing" and that the players voted for it. But interestingly, one said the players had no say in it and some were upset. So I don't know. I take from that, the leadership council or a group of veteran players met with Helton, Bohn, etc., and gave their input.
One parent reiterated the point I've made that the players made extraordinary sacrifices this year, effectively being in a bubble and unable to see their families since the summer. The difference between going 5-1 and 6-1 is really negligible. There's no fanfare for these bowl games, there's no traditional bowl experience. It would be nice to end the season on a better note than the Oregon game, but let's face it (and this is me interjecting my own thoughts) that was going to be very tough without Kedon Slovis. More to the point, though, you'd be asking the players to spend two more weeks in their bubble, unable to spend Christmas with their families, stuck eating some packaged Christmas dinner alone in their dorms, etc. I see this has become a major hot-button topic, but that's the point that resonates above all else for me. That's why 20-some teams made the same decision.
