It's time universities colleges figure this out. Yall want sports yall need coverage. You don't wanna pay ATS, they are walking. Figure out your resources. Parents and players aren't trying to hear it isn't in the budget.
Athletic Trainers are not optional. The are life saving medical professionals trained to care for athletes.
For Alcorn State’s football program, traditionally one of the best among the Historically Black Colleges and Universities that play in the Southwest Athletic Conference, this weekend’s game at South Alabama is a significant financial deal.
As one of the lowest-resourced programs in the Football Championship Subdivision, with an athletics department budget in the $6 million range, a $360,000 paycheck to play one game represents a large chunk of their revenue for the year.
But it is unclear whether the team will make the trip to South Alabama because it has not been able to practice Monday or Tuesday as it failed to have an athletic trainer available to treat players for injuries, head coach Fred McNair said in a radio interview Monday and four people with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The question now is whether Alcorn State will play an FBS team without a normal week or practice and with what kind of medical supervision.
Alcorn State athletics director Derek Horne did not return a message seeking comment.
The four people spoke with USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
One of them said the football team’s activities Tuesday were limited to a walkthrough where University-employed nurses — not a certified athletic trainer — were allowed to pass out ice bags.
“This has been an ongoing thing for us,” the person said. “The sad thing is we’ve been winning and you’d think that would be a plus to help us to move forward.”
Dan Wolken USA TODAY