The petition follows the Big Tens decision to hold off the 2020 season based on medical guidance and a vote from the conferences chancellors and presidents.
In the petition, Fields wrote that the gamers think “the safety protocols have been developed and can be preserved to mitigate concerns of direct exposure to Covid 19.” He goes on to state that he believes the players need to have the ability to make decisions about what is best for their health and their future.
A Big Ten spokesperson and commissioner Kevin Warren did not right away return a demand for comment.
Ohio State center Josh Myers stated he signed the petition. In an interview with ESPN prior to Fields posted the petition, Myers revealed his frustration with the Big Ten over the decision to move the season to the spring, stating he and his colleagues felt it was safe to try to play in the fall.
” I seemed like if we had a season I would be safer than if we didnt have a season, which might sound insane to some people, however I do,” Myers stated. “Everybody that I enter contact with, if we have a season, is getting tested two times a week, theyre in the cleanest of locations, and as a gamer on a group, you do not want to be the man that gets it since you were being a fool and you were out someplace you shouldnt be.”
Asked whether his colleagues were merged in wanting a fall season, Myers said, “To my knowledge every single gamer on the team wished to play. As far as I understand, there wasnt someone who stated, Well, hello, perhaps this isnt safe. There wasnt any of that. I never heard it one time throughout the entire process.”
Michigan protective back Hunter Reynolds also signed the petition, informing ESPN, “I preserve the stance that other gamers and I wish to play in a scenario that is made as safe as possible and deal with the conference and NCAA in order to identify a solution that attends to the issues that college athletes have and finding a way to make sure that every school is sticking to an uniform set of procedures.”
Reynolds and Minnesota protective back Benjamin St. Juste are co-presidents of the College Athlete Unity group, which was formed this summer to provide student-athletes a platform for tranquil demonstration relating to racial injustice and other social concerns. St. Juste signed the petition, saying he wished to reveal assistance for fellow Big Ten players, however acknowledged that the conference made a “expert and rational choice.”
” We simply have to go with that they state at this moment because time was working against us and the plan was not well structured,” St. Juste stated.
Some parents of Big Ten gamers have spoken up about their desire to let their boys play, as moms and dads from Iowa, Penn State and Ohio State have actually all launched letters dealt with to Warren looking for responses about why the season was canceled and what happens moving forward.
Asked whether his colleagues were merged in wanting a fall season, Myers stated, “To my knowledge every single gamer on the team wanted to play.” If youre informing us its not safe for our kids to be either in the practices or in the video games, tell us why. We want to know,” OShaughnessy stated. “If were supposed to be safeguarding our kids from something, we desire to understand what that is. The Big Ten did not share any of that details with us, and thats where I get mad.”
Christopher OShaughnessy, whose son, Michael, is a punter at Ohio State, said he signed the petition and that the moms and dads are happy of Fields and what he is doing.
” If youre informing us its not safe for our kids to be either in the practices or in the games, tell us why. We need to know,” OShaughnessy said. “If were expected to be securing our kids from something, we would like to know what that is. The Big Ten did not share any of that details with us, and thats where I get mad.”
Parents of Nebraska players are preparing to release a letter of their own Sunday afternoon to reveal similar concerns about postponing the season, urging the Big Ten to reverse its decision.
ESPNs Heather Dinich and Andrea Adelson added to this report.
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started a petition requesting the Big 10 instantly restore the 2020 football season, a petition that had almost 80,000 signatures as of 2 p.m. ET Sunday.
Fields tweeted Sunday that “this cause is close to my heart” and prompted people to sign the petition. The project said it is asking the Big Ten to permit its teams and gamers to make their own choices regarding whether they wish to opt or play out of the fall season.
