Bluefield College, an NAIA school in Virginia, forfeited a men’s basketball game tonight after the team was suspended for kneeling during the national anthem several times prior to games in January and February.
Here are more details from ESPN:
“The basis for my decision stemmed from my own awareness of how kneeling is perceived by some in our country, and I did not think a number of our alumni, friends, and donors of the College would view the act of kneeling during the anthem in a positive way,” Olive said.
In the statement, Olive, who is white, recounted an ongoing discussion with coaches, players and the school’s athletic director, Tonia Walker, who is Black, over kneeling during the anthem, but suspensions were handed down only after media reports surfaced last week.