Minnesota players end their boycott and will play in the Holiday Bowl

The Minnesota Golden Gophers will play in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 after all. The team’s players announced Saturday morning that they are ending their boycott.

https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/810142922100195328

The decision comes after a turbulent week that saw the Minnesota players boycott all team activities following the suspension of 10 players. Those players were accused of being involved in an alleged sexual assault on Sept. 2, following Minnesota’s season-opening win over Oregon State.

Here is part of the statement from the players on Saturday, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

“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.

“As football players, we know that we represent this University and this state and that we are held to a higher standard. We want to express our deepest gratitude to our coaching staff and so many others for their support during this difficult time, and we hope that our fans and community understand why we took the actions that we did.

“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.”

“After many hours of discussion within our team, and after speaking with President Kaler, it became clear that our original request of having the 10 suspensions overturned was not going to happen."