CSU Rams deny report critical of athletics department, Addazio

Several CSU Rams soccer players declared their support for new coach Steve Addazio and the athletics division Tuesday night time, denying allegations in a report released Tuesday by the Fort Collins Coloradoan earlier in the working day.

The report cited statements from ten anonymous resources within the division who criticized CSU athletics’ managing of good COVID-19 assessments. Those people resources accused division officials of altering contact tracing reviews so players could continue on practicing and claimed players were threatened with lessened actively playing time if they quarantine.

Just one soccer participant who declined to be identified described the circumstance as a “cover-up … it is not about the health and basic safety of the players but about just making an attempt to make cash off the players.”

Four CSU soccer players, such as senior quarterback Patrick O’Brien, senior working again Marcus McElroy Jr. and senior defensive lineman Toby McBride, strongly disputed assertions in the report when requested by The Write-up for comment Tuesday night.

“They’re not forcing us to participate in,” O’Brien told The Write-up. “They’re not stating, ‘If you get ill, you still need to arrive.’ I never ever acquired that from any of (my coaches).”

McBride, in the meantime, stated he “didn’t comprehend the place all those statements and issues are coming from,” given protocols instituted by the soccer staff members and division considering that on-campus workouts resumed this summer months.

The Rams defender stated players are required to fill out a questionnaire on their health and get their temperatures taken every single time they enter a CSU facility. Intense workouts this sort of as toughness coaching have been moved to the open up-air concourse at Canvas Stadium in buy to mitigate COVID-19 spread, McBride stated, and disinfectant is liberally handled on benches and other gear all through and right after periods.

The senior denied assertions in the report that accused Addazio and defensive coordinator Chuck Heater of “rarely” donning masks.

“It’s weird looking at all the accusations that the coaches aren’t donning masks,” McBride stated, “because Mentor Addazio walks all around yelling at people if they are not donning their masks.”

CSU president Joyce McConnell told ESPN late Tuesday that she is launching a university investigation into the aforementioned allegations.

“The health and welfare of our university student-athletes on the Colorado State soccer staff is our top priority, and I thoroughly support President McConnell’s investigation into concerns about whether or not these protocols were appropriately adopted by anyone involved with our program,” Addazio stated by using a statement introduced by the athletic division. “We want every university student-athlete to have self esteem that we are having every probable measure to ensure their basic safety, and we will continue on doing the job with the coaching staff members, the athletic division and the University to assess and put into action any added techniques needed to are living up to our high expectations.”

Athletic director Joe Parker stated in a statement that he would “embrace” McConnell’s investigation and “if we understand anyone on our staff members has not been thoroughly supportive of our motivation to health and basic safety, this is unacceptable and will be dealt with quickly.”

The Rams suspended soccer pursuits July 29 simply because of a spike in coronavirus positives within the program. CSU officials on Monday introduced the division had 16 complete positives, eleven coming from within the soccer program. CSU declared six active good coronavirus conditions as of Monday, with all all those contaminated coming from the soccer staff.

Immediately after pursuits were stopped final week, various players told The Write-up that Addazio stressed all through a staff conference that their basic safety was his paramount worry.

“He told us, ‘Hey fellas, your basic safety is the most essential thing there is. There is no way we could have a time without you fellas, in any case,’” McElroy recalled. “’Right now, (the staff’s) major thing is about retaining you fellas safe.’”