Auburn’s bass fishing team is going to be back on the water in under a month after a suspension was handed down last Wednesday.
Auburn University chose to shorten the Bass Fishing Club’s suspension until April 22, 2021, with the understanding that the club will follow University protocols in the future after a “productive meeting” between the team and the University on Tuesday, said Preston Sparks, director of Auburn University Communications Services. The team’s suspension was originally supposed to last until the end of the year.
“I am thankful that Auburn University and its administration were willing to listen to us and consider all of the facts with an open mind,” said Logan Parks, president of the Bass Fishing Club and senior in supply chain management. “We have reached an agreement and, most importantly, the Auburn Team is excited about being able to resume representing Auburn University as we pursue another National Championship.”
On March 24, Keegan Ashbee, assistant director of Campus Recreation competitive sports, sent a letter to the team informing them that, effective immediately, the Bass Fishing Club was suspended from all activities until the end of 2021 due to violations of the University’s COVID-19 policy on travel and events applying to club sports teams.
News of the team’s suspension led to an outpouring of support for the club from the community, and at the time of publication, a petition filed on Sunday to reverse the team’s suspension had received over 20,000 signatures.
The suspension also sparked controversy within the fishing community, and the story has been reported on by outlets such as Al.com and The Associated Press.
This article will be updated if more information is made available.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
