Entire Indiana Football Team Registered to Vote

Tom Allen's program has been very vocal about social justice over the summer, and it's a big reason why they've encouraged their athletes to exercise their right to vote.

Dylan Wallace | Oct 5, 2020

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Tom Allen announced Monday afternoon that the entire Indiana football team is registered to vote.

Allen credited cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby and running backs coach Mike Hart for handling a lot of that with the players, and he said it was an important thing for his players to do.

"It is very important. I know this has been a national emphasis, but we have really taken that to heart here," Allen said. "Our guys have gotten into that, like they should. The Big Ten Conference has made it so that we all have the opportunity to exercise our right to vote. This is very important, so this is something that we have been very aggressive with in regards to getting our players squared away."

Exercise your rights. 🗳🇺🇸#B1GVote #IUFB pic.twitter.com/np9bzKWFYJ
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) October 5, 2020

Allen's program has been very vocal over the summer regarding the social justice movements. Tom Allen put out a statement over the murder of George Floyd, and he and his coaching staff attended peaceful protests in Bloomington.

The program created a safe place for its athletes to vent their frustrations. Wide receiver Whop Philyor has used his social media as a platform to try to ignite change, and he appreciated the program's support.

“When they see Coach Allen doing it, they’re like, maybe it is the right thing to do because some people don’t think it’s the right thing to do, to be all for the Black Lives Matter because not all people think Black Lives Matter,” Philyor said in August. “To see Coach Allen do it, it really made me happy. It made me love him even more.”

In late July, Indiana athletics announced its attentions to help educate its athletes on voting.

The department's Excellence Academy began offering its athletes monthly programming as part of the Big Ten Conference’s Voter Registration Initiative. Formally launched by Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren June 15, the nonpartisan, conference-wide initiative is designed to encourage student-athletes to register to vote, become informed on local and national issues, and ultimately participate in the electoral process.

The Excellence Academy’s monthly programming was designed to inform and educate student-athletes about the importance of civic engagement and how to both register to vote and ultimately submit a ballot. The monthly topics included the following:

July – Civic Engagement

August – Why Vote

September – How to Register and How to Vote

October – Why I Vote

“We are pleased to support the Big Ten Voter Initiative and proud of our Excellence Academy’s efforts to empower our students through this important programming designed to elevate our students’ engagement locally and nationally,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson in the press release. “Our students are a part of a generation that can and should have a powerful voice not only at the ballot box, but also by actively participating in in their campus and communities."

Monday was the final day to register to vote in Indiana, as well as a number of other states, and Allen said his coaching staff helped the players coordinate how to vote in all their respective hometowns while being stationed in Bloomington.

Allen made it clear they never tried to influence anyone who to vote for, but wanted to make sure his players exercised their rights to vote in this upcoming election.

"I just want our guys to execute their right and their privilege to vote in our democracy," Allen said. "We never tell them who to vote for, but we challenge them to study, know the issues and vote for the person or individual that you believe represents what you want."

It's not just the football team either, Indiana athletics announced Monday that nine other programs have 100% of its athletes registered to vote.

The other nine are men’s basketball, women’s basketball, field hockey, volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, water polo, softball and rowing.

“I am proud of our students, who expressed a strong desire to have their voices heard through the electoral process,” Dolson said in a press release Monday. “I’m also appreciative of Commissioner Warren for his leadership in the formation of this conference-wide initiative to encourage all of our students to be informed and to fulfill this important civic duty.”

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