Tuesday will be an off-day for the Arizona Wildcats, but they’ll be exercising.
Not the exercise that requires a weight-lifting bench, squat rack, dumbbells or elastic bands, of course. The type that involves a pen and ballot.
In September, the NCAA’s Division I Council voted for universities to withhold practice or competition the first Tuesday after Nov. 1 —or Election Day — so student-athletes could perform their civic duties. The Wildcats’ preparation for Saturday’s season opener will take a break so they can vote in the presidential election.
The polarizing election has been a major topic of discussion across the U.S., and was brought up during Monday’s news conference. A few Wildcats were prepared to talk politics, while others, like linebacker Anthony Pandy, said he’d “rather not answer” when asked if he had voted yet.
Here’s what some Wildcats had to say about the election, and the NCAA’s decision to give athletes the day off.
UA coach Kevin Sumlin: “What’s important is we were a part of a national movement for our student-athletes for Tuesday’s Election Day to have time (to vote). It’s important for people to understand that not everyone is voting in Pima County.
“We got guys from all over the place. How that works — what this will look like — becomes extremely important to our young people. As I said six months ago, the frustration of social injustice, the frustration of what’s going on, everything that’s going on in the country — ‘Hey look, vote!
“We’re going to give you guys that day to figure it out.’ And I think our team has done a great job of voter education and what they really want to do. ‘If you want something to happen, here’s a way to do it.’
“In the grand scheme of things, hey look, we’re playing football, it’s a big deal, but guess what?
“For what you want, if you want certain things to happen in this country, then you need to vote.”
Tight end Bryce Wolma: “This is actually my first time voting because in high school, I turned 18 the month after the 2016 election so I missed that by a month.
“But yeah, it’s interesting because I had to go through the whole absentee ballot process.
“Yes, I have voted, mailed it in and all that, but I think it’s cool what the NCAA did and all the universities giving kids the day off, because obviously this is such an important election, making sure they express their vote and their opinion. … Our guys have been good with (not sharing political beliefs).
“When we come into the facility everyday, it’s about football, it’s not about politics. Although it’s super important, we pull a lot of initiative having guys being able to vote and making sure they’re registered to vote.
“Obviously, we have Tuesday off so they can vote. When it comes to the facility, it’s all football and we’re all focused on that and it hasn’t been a big issue to balance that.”
Quarterback Grant Gunnell: “I’ve already voted and did my early voting for Texas. But that’s great (the NCAA) is giving us that time off to exercise our right, and that’s a huge part of being a citizen in America. Voting for what you believe is going to set up the country to be great and what it’s been in the past.
“But I’ve already voted so I’ll probably just be watching film and taking notes on the defense, going through my plays, different reads and different looks and stuff like that. … It felt good to exercise my right, and I felt like I was doing my country a service with that and placing my vote for who’s going to set this country up for greatness for years to come and get us back to where it was with patriotism.
“It felt good to exercise my right. … When we’re in the building, we’re not focused on the election, we’re focused on football and being 1-0 each day.
“I haven’t heard talks of election or anything in the locker room. We’re focused on football.”
