The Liberty Daily 
Preseason media days for major college football conferences is mandatory for the coaches and players. They can skip press conferences. They can even skip games when necessary. But media day requires a major tragedy for a head coach or star player to be allowed to miss. That is, unless they’re not vaccinated, in which case they’re not only exempt. They’re not allowed to attend.
Washington State University head football coach Nick Rolovich cited personal, private reasons for not taking the Covid-19 shots. He declared in a statement on Twitter that he will be attending the event virtually.
“As the Pac-12 Conference has required that all in-person participants at next week’s Pac-12 football media day be fully vaccinated. I will participate remotely and look forward to talking about our football team and the incredible young men in our program,” Rolovich wrote in a statement posted Wednesday on Twitter. “I have elected not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine for reasons which will remain private. While I have made my own decision I respect that every individual — including our coaches, staff and student-athletes — can make his or her own decision regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.”
What’s saddest is that he will be hit with a barrage of questions about vaccines. In fact, he may get more of the same basic question asked a dozen different ways than he gets about the team or the coming football season. Such is the nature of our Mainstream Media Industrial Complex. If it has to do with Covid-19 injections, they’ll play every angle possible… as long as it’s an opportunity to paint the injections in a positive light or to lambast those who choose not to take it.
Students must show proof of vaccinations to attend the school, but there are exemptions allowed for medical, religious, or personal reasons. As American colleges go, it’s actually one of the least draconian with its vaccine mandates. Many colleges across the nation are not allowing any exemptions. Instead, they’re telling unvaxxed students to study online or to not attend at all.
Rolovich’s entire tenure at Washington State has been during the pandemic era. His first season was marred by the lockdowns; his team only played four games last year. Now with the unvaxxed controversy brewing around him, his team will have to deal with the distraction.
