After learning the University of Wisconsin football team will be staying at Trump National Doral Hotel in Miami, Florida in the days leading up to the Orange bowl, the Student Coalition for Progress issued a press release calling for an explanation from university officials.
The group is “disappointed” the team, band and alumni are staying in a hotel with the same name as the current president, who “oppresses those of color,” the press release said.
“The Student Coalition for Progress calls on the Orange Bowl and the Wisconsin Alumni Association to give a detailed explanation as to why this specific hotel was chosen,” the press release said.
Larry Wahl, Orange Bowl vice president of communications, said the contract for the hotels in which the team stayed for this game was set four years ago.
At the time of the press release, SCP was not aware that the contract was set four years ago, representative Ekenedilichukwu Ikegwuani, said.
“[The Orange Bowl] is in a multi-year contract with Trump Doral and Wisconsin is the fourth team to have stayed there,” Wahl said.
… no. This is why I didn’t follow my dear @BadgerFootball team to Miami. Been to 4 Rose Bowls, but I’m skipping the #OrangeBowl. I will never, ever stay in a Trump hotel, and this really breaks my my heart. https://t.co/OU7hVmnZgC
— Terence Amerson (@terryamerson) December 30, 2017
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The hotels for the teams are determined by their partners’ requirements for accommodations and the Trump Doral hotel not only met, but exceeded these expectations, Wahl said. It is the bowl’s responsibility to make hotel arrangements for the team and band.
But, Ikegwuani said the team should have found other hotel accommodations in the Miami area.
“The Badger athletics isn’t hurting for money,” Ikegwuani said. “I felt like they had enough so that if they wanted to go somewhere else they could’ve.”
