Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) asked the state’s Board of Regents Tuesday to create a policy requiring student athletes to be present during the national anthem in order to keep their scholarships.
Landry’s letter to the board came after Louisiana State University’s women’s basketball matchup against the University of Iowa Monday, during which viewers criticized the LSU team for being absent from the court for the national anthem.
“By choosing to miss the National Anthem, the basketball team showed a lack of respect not only for the values of our country, but for the individuals who hold these values dear in our State and across the country,” Landry wrote in the letter, provided to local Louisiana outlet WAFB.
He doubled down in a Wednesday interview with Fox News, saying, “College athletes need to understand that in order to be truly united, in order to truly have civics and civility, we all need to be united under one flag and respect that anthem.”
Kim Mulkey, LSU head coach said in a post-game press conference that she was unaware the anthem was played, and that her team was following their typical pre-game routine.
“I’m sorry,” Mulkey said. “Listen, that’s nothing intentionally done.”
