As college campuses across the nation get set to kick off the 2018 college football season, some programs are already embroiled in controversy before taking a snap. Coaches at the University of Maryland and Ohio State University have come under fire in recent weeks as major scandal has broken out in their programs.
At Ohio State, controversy broke when reporter Brett McMurphy, citing multiple sources, claimed that the Buckeyes head football coach Urban Meyer was involved in covering up the domestic violence claims made by the wife of Zach Smith, an assistant coach for Meyer at both Ohio State and also his previous stop at the University of Florida. Meyer was put on administrative leave after the news broke, and after a meeting that lasted upwards of 11 hours the Ohio State Board of Trustees decided to suspend him for the team’s first three games of the season. Many people in the media criticized this suspension, saying that it was a minimal punishment and the board was more focused on Meyer’s success than the program’s integrity. Meyer dug himself further into a hole at the press conference which followed.
When asked about what he would say to Courtney Smith, the victim, he said. “I'm sorry that we’re in this situation.”
Meyer would later clear up his remarks on twitter, apologizing to Smith.
“Let me say here and now what I should’ve said on Wednesday: I sincerely apologize to Courtney Smith and her children for what they have gone through.”
The incident at the University of Maryland is still ongoing and has many layers to it. During a practice in May, sophomore offensive lineman Jordan McNair collapsed and later died after running a series of sprints. The details of his death were not brought into the public eye until an ESPN report was published in August. The report determined that the University was responsible for the mishandling of McNair’s death and did not take proper measures. The report also described a “toxic” culture surrounding the football program and placed the majority of the blame on Head Coach D.J. Durkin. Many people who were once around the program have been outspoken about the issue.
“I would never, ever, allow my child to be coached there,” a former Maryland football coach said.
McNair’s death has brought to light the issue of football players being pushed too hard in conditioning workouts. Many coaches use spring workouts to establish “toughness”, yet many of their tactics lead to serious medical issues. Rebecca Stearns, CEO of a foundation named after an NFL player who died due to heat stroke, says that the increase in deaths is related to the team’s lack of medical resources and rules in place.
“You need policies in place, so everyone is aware of what steps should be taken and you need a medical professional present who can identify the condition. Unfortunately, heatstroke can be confused with many other conditions,” Stearns said.
NHS football player Matt Jewell, who has seen his fair share of intensive conditioning workouts, also commented on the issue.
“Physical conditioning goes from being beneficial to physically harming when someone starts to exhibit symptoms such as nausea, hallucinations or signs of stroke. A player should be allowed to stop when they are physically unable to keep running or lift themselves up,” Jewell said.
If the effects of these scandals have affected the players, it didn’t show in week one. Ohio State trounced Oregon State 77-31, while Maryland scored an emotional 34-29 win over a ranked Texas program. Only time will tell if the incidents lead to serious consequences against the programs.
Image courtesy of Ohio State Buckeyes.