Utah State coach Gary Andersen attempts to clarify comments on team's opt out policy

The Aggies program says it did not have any players opt out, but supports any player's decision to do so

Even though all 10 FBS conferences are now playing football this fall, a number of players have still chosen to opt out due to myriad reasons, chief among them being COVID-19 concerns. By and large, those decisions have been met with at least public understanding from their head coaches. These are uncertain times, after all, and everyone has to do what they think is in their best interest. 

Utah State coach Gary Andersen had a different tone when speaking about the choice to opt out. In a conference call with reporters last week, Andersen pushed back on the choice to opt out of the season. 

"At least in our program, we don't have an opt out. And it's not an option," Andersen said according to Julie Jag of the Salt Lake Tribune. "If you opt out, you're not with us."

Except opting out is an option. Back in August before the season began, the NCAA recommended, and later passed, a blanket waiver allowing athletes to retain a year of eligibility. The NCAA also mandated that scholarships be honored for those players who opt out. Players would also not have to waive their legal rights regarding COVID-19 as a condition of their participation. The NCAA even set up a phone line to report alleged failures to adhere to all COVID-19-related rules. 

The Tribune reports that no Utah State players opted out of the season. When initially reached for comment by the Tribune, Andersen, who previously opted out of coaching at Wisconsin in 2014 and then again six games into his third year at Oregon State in 2017, "did not feel comfortable responding to a request to clarify his comments," according to Utah State's athletic department. 

That changed quickly when Andersen appeared on 1280 The Zone in Salt Lake City. Put succinctly, Andersen was trying to convey that opting out wasn't even a factor with anyone on the team. 

"I used the word 'policy' -- we don't have a policy. That was the wrong word," Andersen said. "We have an opt out form. We have discussed this with the team many, many times. The word 'policy' in my mind ... I was basically saying we have no one in that situation in our football team right now that has opted out. So our policy ... doesn't exist right now, we're not using it. I should have, obviously, clarified that much cleaner and said that we have nobody who has opted out, or is opting out, in our football program."

Andersen added "our kids, if they did decide to opt out, we are in support of that." 

The Mountain West recently announced its eight-week schedule, beginning Oct. 24. The conference was one of four FBS conferences to initially cancel football for the fall.