Dabo ‘didn’t really understand’ NCAA’s decision to ban practices on Election Day
Clemson will have one less day of preparation for its biggest road test of the 2020 season.
The NCAA announced last month that student-athletes will have Election Day free of athletic activities, beginning in 2020.
This year’s Election Day is on Tuesday Nov. 3, before the Tigers face Notre Dame on Nov. 7. Swinney said Wednesday night that he didn’t understand the NCAA’s decision.
“I didn’t really understand the day off thing. Most all of our guys are going to have already been voted,” Swinney said. “There’s going to be a few who will go vote here. Certainly, always have time to go get that done, but that’s what they passed, so that’s going to definitely change things for everybody.”
Tuesday is typically a “huge practice day” for Clemson, according to Swinney. So the Tigers will be forced to change their schedule that week.
“Our normal off day is Sunday. So people will have to come in on Sunday. It’ll just cut down on our prep time. Typically we’re off on Sunday and that’s a heavy prep day, Sunday, Monday for us,” Swinney said.
“We get our guys at 4 o’clock on Monday, and we always feel like we’ve gotten a lot of work done. So you’re gonna miss Tuesday. So you’ve gotta get that stuff done on Sunday, and it’s a quick turnaround for you. Play Saturday, quick turnaround. But it’s the same for every team out there so it just is what it is.”
The idea for the day off came from student-athletes. The NCAA, in announcing the news in September, wrote that the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee believed “it is more important than ever to protect and promote the rights student-athletes have as citizens.”
“The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee proposed the legislation to provide a day each year dedicated to increasing opportunities for Division I athletes to participate in civic engagement,” the NCAA said. “These include activities such as voting or community service, among others.”
Next game: No. 7 Miami (3-0) at No. 1 Clemson (3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina
TV: ABC
Line: Clemson by 14
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Dabo ‘didn’t really understand’ NCAA’s decision to ban practices on Election Day."
