Ohio State junior quarterback Justin Fields has started a petition called #WeWantToPlay, urging the Big Ten to reconsider the decision it made this past week to cancel the fall football season.
The campaign states that the goal is to receive 200,000 signatures, and as of 8:05 PM ET on Sunday night, it already has 176,648. It is addressed to "Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, Big Ten University Presidents and Big Ten Athletic Directors."
Michigan Wolverines football commit J.J. McCarthy is rated as the No. 33 overall player in the country. (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)
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"We, the football players of the Big Ten, together with the fans and supporters of college football, request that the Big Ten Conference immediately reinstate the 2020 football season," Fields wrote in the petition.
"Allow Big Ten players/teams to make their own choice as to whether they wish to play or opt out this fall season. Allow Big Ten players/teams who choose to opt out of playing a fall season to do so without penalty or repercussion."
"Why is this important?
"We want to play. We believe that safety protocols have been established and can be maintained to mitigate concerns of exposure to Covid 19. We believe that we should have the right to make decisions about what is best for our health and our future.
"Don’t let our hard work and sacrifice be in vain. #LetUsPlay!"
The petition is unsurprisingly gaining steam with Michigan's 2021 commitments, with Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star receiver Cristian Dixon being two of the notable commits who have retweeted it and are in favor of it.
