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Florida and Ole Miss take a knee before kickoff of SEC season opener

Florida and Ole Miss stopped before their season opener on Saturday to take a knee in protest of social and racial injustice in the United States.

The two teams decided before the game to make a unified gesture and released a statement about their actions Saturday morning.

“As members of the Florida and Ole Miss football teams, we recognize the impact of our personal platforms and are choosing to amplify the issues that directly impact us,” the teams said in their statement. “Together we have chosen to take the opening series of today’s competition to acknowledge the unrest in our country surrounding the treatment of African Americans. We will continue to support social justice efforts as members of the Southeastern Conference and members of our respective communities.”

The demonstration isn’t the first in college football this season, but it was done by far on the biggest platform. The SEC may be the most prominent college football conference in the country.

The SEC announced in August that it was creating a council on racial equity and social justice.

“An important movement has been ignited around the equitable treatment of all underrepresented minorities, and the SEC is determined to be a leader in the pursuit of meaningful and lasting change,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement announcing the council’s creation. “With the Council as our guide, we will develop an action agenda built on the foundation that all are created equal and ensure this truth echoes across our stadiums, our arenas, our campuses, our communities, our states and our nation.”

Florida TE Kyle Pitts was one of the players and coaches who took a knee on Saturday.
Florida TE Kyle Pitts was one of the players and coaches who took a knee on Saturday.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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