College Football Players Band Together In Attempt To Save 2020 Season

As has been the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, college sports and much of life in general have underwent a yo-yo effect as people learn about and react to the coronavirus at different rates. One day, the general perspective of life seems very familiar, such as when Michigan's football schedule was finalized on Wednesday.

But then other days head in a very different direction as it pertains to college sports this year. Sunday was one of those days.

Last night, Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde and Ross Dellenger reported that the Big Ten is “moving toward a decision to cancel the 2020 fall season,” and the article laid out how a call among conference presidents was scheduled for Sunday.

This is the latest in a series of mixed messages sent from the Big Ten as a whole. While schedules for the 2020 season were released on Wednesday with fall camp set to start on Friday, those in power seemed persistent and committed to conducting a fall football season. Then three days after that, the Big Ten announced that its teams were to remain in the “first two days of the acclimatization period in football (i.e., helmets shall be the only piece of protective equipment student-athletes may wear),” in effect rolling back the timeline for practice.

If that proves anything, it is that the tide regarding COVID-19 and how it is handled is still shifting. There is less than a month until Michigan is scheduled to host Purdue at home, and these next four weeks will be pivotal in how the season unfolds, if it does at all.

But along the notion that the response and actions taken regarding the coronavirus have an ebb and flow, perhaps conference administrators quickly form a plan that not only ensures football is played in the fall, but that it is done in a safe manner that meets the requests of a growing and more engaged student body.

Focused on establishing a consistent protocol and guidelines for the 2020 season, Michigan defensive back Hunter Reynolds and Minnesota cornerback Benjamin St. Juste started the #BigTenUnited movement to do just that, create a safer playing environment for all involved. The group laid out several categories with bullet points designed to remedy the fears of both college football players and parents alike. The demands were not unreasonable, but they would require a good deal of effort to meet.

Then after news that Power Five football seasons broke on Sunday night, even more players began to share their reactions to a decision that will greatly impact their immediate futures. Spearheaded by Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Darien Rencher, a group that goes by the moniker #WeWantToPlay further outlined the desires of college football players, and the idea absolutely took off on social media.

The group's main points are as follows:

#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/jvQhE7noGB
— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 10, 2020

Rencher said that he and Lawrence meet with reps from every Power Five conference on Zoom, and these are the specifics that were decided upon. Rencher added that the #WeWantToPlay initiative is in cohesion with the #BigTenUnited and a similar PAC-12 movement. It appears that players from all across the country are working together to find a solution so that football can be played this fall.

Now while this declaration is heavily focused on the response to COVID-19, it does also suggest that a player's union would unfold at the end of the fifth bullet point. This is an idea that has gained traction in recent years but also likely worries many administrators across the country. So, the #WeWantToPlay language is aiming to have a lasting impact on the collegiate amateur experience.

Players across the country have joined Lawrence in tweeting out #WeWantToPlay, and U-M's Reynolds offered his two cents on the issue too.

#WeWantToPlay and not just P5 football players. There are athletes in other conferences and other sports who put in just as much effort and deserve to have as safe a season as possible‼️
— Hunter Reynolds (@hunt_xxvii) August 10, 2020

Reynolds spoke to ESPN's Dan Murphy and had the following response on the #WeWantToPlay movement that is rapidly gaining stream across the college football world.

"Unifying the players is easier than its ever been," Reynolds said. "Players do have a voice, and we're seeing now that the voice is starting to become a unified one."

The movement is being observed on the high school level as well. Michigan wide receiver commit Markus Allen also tweeted his take on the situation Sunday night.

Football is bigger than a game, it’s a lifestyle and some take it to da heart. Don’t cancel college football.
— Markus Allen☆ (@MarkusAllen19) August 10, 2020

More news on the likelihood of the 2020 season is expected during the course of the week, but if the prior week has demonstrated anything, it is that there may be another several course changes before the outcome of college sports is finalized.

What do you think will happen with college sports this year? Will the fall season be moved to the spring? Let us know!

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