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Oklahoma State forms diversity council after Mike Gundy controversy

College Football, NCAA - Other, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State athletics announced a new diversity council Wednesday amid the fallout from football coach Mike Gundy's decision to wear a T-shirt promoting a far-right news network.

The school said Jason Kirksey, the university's chief diversity officer, will chair the program. The council will include students, athletes and alumni. It will be housed in the university's Division of Institutional Diversity.

Star running back Chuba Hubbard, who is Black, suggested last week that he might boycott the program after Gundy was photographed wearing a shirt promoting One America News, a far-right news network often cited by President Donald Trump. The network, which has a fraction of the audience of Fox News, has tried to position itself as a place for a pro-Trump audience that believes other conservative news outlets have become too mainstream in their reporting. It recently criticized the Black Lives Matter movement.

Gundy, who is white, apologized and said he was unaware of OAN's stance on Black Lives Matter.

"We are grateful that Dr. Kirksey has agreed to lead our efforts moving forward," said Chad Weiberg, Oklahoma State's deputy athletic director. "The athletic department could make a lot of promises and declarations about what we will be doing, but our future actions will speak for us. Under Dr. Kirksey's leadership, we will be very intentional in our efforts, but our driving goal will be to get better."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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