10 politicians from 6 Big Ten states write letter pressuring Big Ten to play football

Politicians from six states have written a letter urging the Big Ten to change their mind and move forward with a fall football season as political pressure mounts.

More and more politicians are getting involved with the hope of convincing the Big Ten to allow for Big Ten football to be played this fall.

On the heels of President Trump pressuring the Big Ten presidents to reverse their decision and play the fall football season, 10 politicians across six Big Ten states have signed off on a letter to Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren.

Lee Chatfield, the speaker of Michigan’s House of Representatives, penned the letter, which has been signed by nine other senate and house leaders from Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The 10 politicians are all Republicans as this issue has become a political one.

After an 11-3 vote to postpone the football season due to coronavirus concerns, only Ohio State, Iowa and Nebraska presidents voted to move forward with the season. After the Aug. 11 decision by the Big Ten, commissioner Kevin Warren has had protestors at the Big Ten headquarters, players from Nebraska have brought on a lawsuit and parents from various programs have voiced their displeasure and want their kids to play.

Fans have joined the chorus on social media with many calling for Warren to be fired.

"“Recent actions taken by other conferences across the country to start football and other fall sports have placed the Big Ten, its members and students at a disadvantage,” the letter reads. “These athletes are losing a vital part of student life and are becoming less marketable to future employers with each passing week. Additionally, our local universities stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars that support vital student scholarships.“This is even more frustrating when we think of how our Big Ten athletic programs are leading the way by providing outstanding health and safety protocols.”“The Big Ten’s current direction is the wrong choice for the conference, for our area universities, and — worst of all — for thousands of our local students,” Chatfield, a former All-America soccer player at Northland International University, said in a prepared statement. “As a former student-athlete, a teacher, a coach, an athletic director, and now as a parent, I know how important sports can be to young people and their development. I also know how much support restarting football and other fall sports has among players, coaches, parents, and the many people who have reached out to our offices demanding a change. The Big Ten should reverse course as soon as possible and do everything possible to help their students restart extracurricular activities safely.”"

The Big Ten is planning to return as early as Thanksgiving week but there has been no movement on expediting the process despite political pressure from the president to local politicians.

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