Minnesota Players Boycotting Football Activities, Could Skip Bowl Game

The college football bowl season could be impacted by a team-wide protest from the Minnesota football team.

Minnesota’s players announced Thursday night they are boycotting all football activities following the suspension of 10 Golden Gophers earlier this week. Their boycott potentially could include Minnesota’s Dec. 27 matchup with Washington State in the National Funding Holiday Bowl.

The school didn’t publicly announce the reasons for the players’ suspensions, but the 10 players reportedly were disciplined after the school’s Title IX investigation into an alleged sexual assault. The alleged incident occurred on Sept. 2, when a woman told officers she was sexually assaulted by several men, some of which were on the football team.

The events of that night are in dispute, however. From ESPN.com:

“Several players told police (the sex) was consensual, and an investigator who watched a video (sophomore running back Carlton) Djam took of the incident wrote that ‘(the woman) does not appear to be upset by the sexual activity and does not indicate that she wants it to stop … and the sexual contact appears entirely consensual.'”

Senior wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky announced the boycott via a prepared statement while surrounded by his teammates.

“The boycott will remain in effect until due process is followed and the suspensions for all 10 players are lifted,” Wolitarsky said. “We further request that (school president Eric) Kaler and (athletic director Mark) Coyle (apologize) and demand that these leaders are held accountable for their actions.”

Bowl planners appear to have a contingency plan if Minnesota continues its boycott through Dec. 27. Northern Illinois would be “next in line” to fill the Golden Gophers’ spot, according to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy.