Football Player Petitions Big 10 to Reinstate Fall Football Season While Other Players Test Positive for COVID-19

The GIST: Last week was a wild one for college football, but (in true 2020 fashion) a new day brings even more drama. With a petition circulating to reinstate the Big Ten season, players testing positive for COVID-19 and players’ parents even getting in on the action, the possibility of fall football is still uncertain.

Tell me about this petition: On Sunday morning, Ohio State quarterback and QB1 star Justin Fields shared an online petition, titled #WeWantToPlay, asking the Big Ten to reinstate the fall 2020 season and give players a choice to opt-out or not, free of any repercussions. Fields posted the petition on Twitter and it reached over 100,000 signatures (!!!) in under four hours.

Will it actually work?: Probably not. The Big Ten (and the Pac-12) did not cancel the fall season on a whim. We’re all about players using their platform, but even with a ton of signatures, we doubt this push will overturn such a big decision.

How’s it going in the other conferences?: Not great. Nine players from the Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12) tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to campus following a team-sanctioned break from training camp. *facepalm*

• Meanwhile the SEC is expected to release a revised schedule this afternoon. And we’ll be waiting to see if college football can actually get their sh!t together this week.