Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports
Bluefield College, an NAIA school in Virginia, forfeited its men's basketball game on Thursday after suspending several players for kneeling during the national anthem before games in January and February.
In a statement, school president David Olive said he told the basketball players to stop kneeling before games. When the players refused, Olive chose to suspend the players who kneeled, leading to Thursday's game against Reinhardt being forfeited.
"The basis for my decision stemmed from my own awareness of how kneeling is perceived by some in our country, and I did not think a number of our alumni, friends and donors of the college would view the act of kneeling during the anthem in a positive way," Olive said, per WVVA.