The Big West conference has finally taken a stance on the comments made by volleyball legend Charlie Brande during a match between UC Irvine and CSUN. This comes amid the raging backlash endured by Brande after his comments directed at CSUN’s Jordan Lucas, suggesting he should be “popped” in the face.
Last week, Cal State Northridge (CSUN) took on UC-Irvine for a conference game, and despite the Irvines bagging a 3-1 win, Lucas stood out as the star player. He helped the matadors with 8 kills on just 11 swings. He did celebrate his positive plays with his signature style of verbal banter that’s often referred to as flamboyant.
During a specific moment, Brande, from the broadcasting team, got upset with Lucas’s actions and suggested a violent pushback to put an end to it. Since then, Brande has apologized for the comments.
While the backlash continued its spree, the conference has now made its stance clear on the subject, condemning the comments and suggesting that it is in full support of athletic displays of expression.
“We categorically condemn these specific comments as well as anything in this vein made to denigrate any individuals. We stand with CSUN men’s volleyball student-athlete Jordan Lucas and all student-athletes in their rights to compete, celebrate, and express themselves in a way that is authentic,” said the conference in a statement.
Fans, too, have lambasted the comments, suggesting that this promotes division and violence, which has no place in college sports.
Charlie Brande Talks about Volleyball Broadcasting
Charlie Brande is considered a legend in the sport of volleyball, who is considered to have given back to the sport more than anyone else.
During an interview, Brande spoke about how the role of broadcasting has helped him stay around people, something that he cherishes beyond anything.
“When you get away from it, you miss the people, you will the competition but you miss the people, the coaches, the referees, and that’s what this does is get me involved with those guys,” he said (57:58).
He also spoke about how important it is to connect with the audience using language easy enough to attract a new crowd to the game of volleyball.
With his recent controversial comments, Brande’s views on connecting with the people grew into a sharp contradiction, and it remains to be seen how the sports community and Lucas himself respond in the coming days.
Read more:
Ryan Crookham Reveals First Phone Call Driving Iowa Hawkeyes Transfer
Mikaela Shiffrin Declares Ilia Malinin ‘Bestie’ After Wholesome Partner Event Connection
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
