NAIA Bluefield College s kneeling during anthem results in suspensions, forfeit
By The Athletic Staff
Bluefield (Va.) College president David Olive said in a statement Thursday that he suspended athletes on the men’s basketball team for kneeling during the national anthem during games in January and February. The discipline came after Olive said he told the athletes to stop kneeling multiple times.
The result of the suspension was Bluefield an NAIA Division I Appalachian Athletic Conference team having to forfeit its game Thursday against Reinhardt University.
Olive said that he met with vice president for intercollegiate athletics Tonia Walker and men’s basketball coach Richard Morgan on Feb. 1 after his staff was made aware of the players kneeling during a Jan. 30 home game. Olive said he told Morgan that kneeling during the anthem would not be allowed going forward. He also told Walker to inform the rest of the college’s coaches that kneeling during the anthem was pr