COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

Michigan students petition for Brandon’s ouster

The Sports Xchange

September 30, 2014 at 4:38 pm.

Michigan students started a petition this week calling for the ouster of athletic director Dave Brandon in the wake of the football team’s missteps.

By Tuesday afternoon, the online petition, organized by the Central Student Government, had more than 7,000 signatures from faculty, students and staff.

They are frustrated not only with the team’s performance on the field but with the handling of quarterback Shane Morris’ concussion this past weekend.

Morris sustained a concussion during the Wolverines’ 30-14 loss to Minnesota and was sent back into the game after he was examined on the sideline. Coach Brady Hoke and the athletic department didn’t acknowledge Morris had suffered a concussion until releasing at statement at 1 a.m. Tuesday apologizing for their mishandling of the situation.

The athletic department called Morris’ return to the field with a head injury a serious lack of communication between the medical and coaching staff.

Michigan students want current Michigan AD Dave Brandon out. (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)

Michigan fans also are upset with the team’s 2-3 record this season. Students are expressing their dissatisfaction by not attending games.

An on-campus rally was planned for Tuesday night that will call for Brandon’s resignation. The Michigan Daily, the campus newspaper, called for Hoke’s dismissal on Monday.

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald told ESPN that there are no current plans for the board of regents to meet to discuss the matter. The board’s next scheduled meeting is Oct. 16.

Michigan also is taking heat from outside the university. U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) called on the Big Ten to investigate the Morris incident. He serves as co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force.

“Allowing a possibly concussed player to determine whether or not he is fit to return to play not only violates common sense but is also an egregious violation of standard concussion protocol, including protocol set forth by the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference,” Rep. Pascrell told Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany in a letter.

“I strongly urge you to investigate the circumstances surrounding Shane Morris’s injury and the decision to return him to play. Additionally, I ask that you re-examine the protocols in place and determine what changes can be made to improve them. I also urge you to establish penalties for violations of concussion protocols. Every concussion is brain damage and must be diagnosed and treated by appropriate medical personnel, who prioritize players’ health, safety, and well-being.”