Badgers football players say they want to play as Big Ten considers canceling season
MADISON, Wis. — Members of the Wisconsin Badgers football team are sharing their thoughts as the Big Ten is reportedly considering canceling all fall sports for the 2020 season.
“Me and football (have) been going for 11 years strong,” cornerback Faion Hicks tweeted Sunday night. “Smh no football would be the worst breakup.”
https://twitter.com/Faion_Hicks/status/1292606857564098567
“NCAA please don’t do this to us,” safety Eric Burrell tweeted Sunday. On Monday morning, he tweeted again, saying, “Who would’ve thought it would come to this.”
https://twitter.com/EricBurrell_/status/1292794171879821314
Burrell’s tweet carried the hashtag #WeWantToPlay, which was tweeted by several prominent college football players and included a proposal on the behalf of players from college football’s five biggest conferences. Running back Garrett Groshek and defensive end Matt Henningsen also tweeted the hashtag.
Tight end Gabe Lloyd tweeted a longer statement Sunday night, saying football has been the players’ safe space during the pandemic, saying the game has positively impacted their lives in many ways, and they have trust in the medical staff to keep things safe.
Safety Scott Nelson tweeted he believes players should be given the option to opt-in to the season, rather than seeing it canceled altogether.
Over the weekend, the Mid-American Conference announced it would move its entire football schedule to spring. Other schools, like the University of Connecticut, canceled their season outright after hearing concerns from their players.
Several media outlets including Sports Illustrated and ESPN have reported that Big Ten officials may announce the cancellation of all fall sports, including football, as soon as Monday due to concerns about the coronavirus and players being exposed as students return to campus.
Wisconsin is scheduled to start its training camp on Monday.
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