‘A systemic problem’: Winthrop to host basketball game to promote racial equality
The conversation in Rock Hill about racial equality won’t fade come basketball season.
The Winthrop University men’s basketball team will host an exhibition game against Liberty on Oct. 24 at Winthrop Coliseum. The school’s athletic department announcement Wednesday said the game is an effort to “bring awareness to our united pursuit of equality and inclusion.”
“Coach (Ritchie) McKay (of Liberty) has been a friend and a mentor for a long time...” Winthrop head coach Pat Kelsey said in a statement. “Racism is a systemic problem in our country that needs to be eliminated. This game is a way to create a platform for the coaches, players and students from Liberty and Winthrop to make a difference.”
In an interview with The Herald, Kelsey said the two teams had a “closed-door” or secret scrimmage planned ahead of the 2020-21 season, and McKay brought the idea to Kelsey to make this game be open to the public.
Liberty had opened a preseason closed scrimmage into an exhibition game as recently as 2018, when the Flames faced off against Virginia Tech to raise funds to assist with hurricane relief efforts in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael.
“(McKay) called me and said, ‘I think this is a great opportunity to turn our scrimmage into an exhibition and make it an opportunity for us to bring awareness,’” Kelsey said. “And hopefully we can make a good financial donation to a mutually-agreed upon charity that helps toward the cause.”
Liberty and Winthrop were two of the 13 teams that had qualified for the 2020 NCAA Tournament before it was canceled due to the threat of coronavirus. Winthrop won its second Big South Conference tournament championship since Kelsey arrived in 2012.
Liberty, meanwhile, posted a school-record 30 wins last season and won the Atlantic Sun Conference championship over Lipscomb.
“We are excited to partner with Winthrop University in a game that we hop raises support for many causes that could hopefully support those (who) are disadvantaged,” McKay said in a statement. “We know how competitive of a program Coach Kelsey and his staff have built in Rock Hill, so this a great game for our young team to be afforded an opportunity to play.”
Wednesday’s announcement comes after weeks of protests, rallies and marches against systemic racism and police brutality across the country. Rock Hill has been active in the social movement.
The idea of this type of event was recently discussed by Winthrop athletes and staff in a town hall meeting, and Winthrop’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be active in the selection of which nonprofits the university will donate to, the release said.
This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 12:36 PM.
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