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Earlier this week, former Portland Pilots head coach and current Georgia Tech assistant Eric Reveno tweeted out the idea of having the entire NCAA take the day off on Nov. 3, Election Day, in order to encourage the importance of voting to the young players.
Federal election day, Nov 3rd, needs to be a NCAA mandatory off day. We must empower, educate and guide our athletes to be part of the change. We need action. There is symbolism in every holiday and it's powerful. @GeorgiaTech @GTAthletics @accmbb @ncaa @CabreraAngel
— Eric Reveno (@CoachReveno) June 3, 2020
According to Myron Medcalf at ESPN, Reveno reached out to Mark Few, and the movement had its first big-name booster.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Few told ESPN. “It’s just a step. One of many that needs to happen.”
Less than 56 percent of eligible voters in the United States voted in the 2016 presidential election. That number drops more severely in the off-year elections. Out of most developed countries in the world, citizens of the United States do not do a good job of hitting the ballot box. Granted, in some countries, such as Belgium and Australia, voting is viewed as less of a right and more of a civic duty that is punishable by law.
For Gonzaga players, having the day off and a lesson in civic engagement is probably a good thing. Throughout the United States, the lowest age demographic for voting has long been those who just became of age.
For the chat: I know, I know, I know. “Stick to sports.” However, this is news, and as sports and politics (take a look at California’s pay the players law vs. the NCAA) become more and more intertwined, it is important to acknowledge what Mark Few is attempting to lead here. Also, regardless of where you sit on the partisan divide, no one can argue that more people exercising their right to vote in a democratic representative system is a bad thing.