NCAA: Minnesota players end boycott

[Taro Tsujimoto]

University of Minnesota football players announced Thursday they are boycotting all football practice and team activities — even their Dec. 27 bowl game if need be — in protest of 10 teammates being suspended from the team earlier this week in the latest fallout of a September sexual assault investigation.

The Gophers had a players-only meeting Thursday afternoon and later brought in head coach Tracy Claeys to inform him of their plans, sources told the Star Tribune.

What appeared to be every Gophers player appeared Thursday at a university athletic building to deliver a united announcement, saying they are immediately boycotting team activities and are willing to boycott the Holiday Bowl if their teammates are not reinstated. That would require reversing Tuesday's decision to suspend the 10 players from the team.

Quarterback Mitch Leidner, receiver Drew Wolitarsky and tight end Duke Anyanwu stood in front of the full team.

"As a player, it became more than a game for me," Wolitarsky said. "And I know it did, as you can see, for the whole team. It's about the livelihood of these kids, after football. Because that's why we came here; we came here to get a degree. We come here to make a life for ourseves, and these kids' reputations have been ruined."

The players on Thursday night called out university President Eric Kaler and athletic director Mark Coyle, saying the school leaders supported and delivered unjust punishment.

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-football-players-plan-to-threaten-boycott-of-bowl-game/406928136/

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[What the Faulk]

Wolitarsky said the players want an apology from university President Eric Kaler and athletic director Mark Coyle, adding that the players “demand that these leaders are held accountable for their actions.”

Get the **** out of here. I have no idea about the details surrounding this case, but **** like this does absolutely nothing to help your cause.

 

[Sacha Baron Corbin]

This whole thing is confusing for me, why were the players still suspended if they were cleared in the criminal investigation?

 

[Uncle Rotter]

This whole thing is confusing for me, why were the players still suspended if they were cleared in the criminal investigation?

For violating the University Code of Conduct I would assume

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Bold statement from the team.