Minnesota will play in Holiday Bowl after all
After all of that, Minnesota will indeed play in the Holiday Bowl.
Gopher players addressed the media on Saturday morning and confirmed that they lifted their boycott of all team activities. The game vs. Washington State will resume as scheduled on Dec. 27.
#Gophers players announce they will play in Holiday Bowl after much deliberation with themselves and consultation with U officials.
— Andy Greder (@andygreder) December 17, 2016
The boycott had been in effect since Thursday night, when players spoke out against the university’s reasoning for suspending 10 Minnesota players.
It appeared as of early on Saturday morning that the boycott would prevent the Gophers from participating. A late-night meeting on Friday reportedly didn’t force either side to cave, and it didn’t appear an agreement would be reached by the noon deadline on Saturday.
But as it turned out, Minnesota players elected to resume with their postseason schedule. Now, Minnesota’s focus will shift back to football.
Minnesota players released a statement:
“As a team, we understand that what has occurred these past few days, and playing football for the University of Minnesota, is larger than just us. …
“We now ask that you, the members of the media, our fans, and the general public hold all of us accountable for ensuring that our teammates are treated fairly, along with any and all victims of sexual assault. We also ask that the public dialogue related to the apparent lack of due process in a university system is openly discussed and evaluated.
“Our thoughts and prayers are for the well-being of the woman involved in the original incident, and for our 10 teammates to ensure that they are treated fairly. We look forward to representing the University of Minnesota and the state of Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl in a way that makes all of you proud.”