Monty Rice, Trevor Lawrence among the many players trying to save 2020 college football season

With the fall college football season on the brink of being canceled, a number of prominent college football players have taken to social media to push for the right to play this season.

Among those on the Georgia football roster, Monty Rice and Demetris Robertson both voiced their desire to play. Both took to social media over the weekend and made it clear that they’d like to play this season, even with the pandemic going on.

Let’s play safely !! But those ‘in charge’ quit with the back and forth !!!

— Monty Rice (@RiceMonty) August 10, 2020

Yeah! https://t.co/E6CUiUv7UK

— Demetris Robertson (@d_rob4) August 8, 2020

Those are just two of the many college football players who spoke out this weekend. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, originally from Cartersville, Ga., had a long thread about why it’s important to have a college football season.

People are at just as much, if not more risk, if we don’t play. Players will all be sent home to their own communities where social distancing is highly unlikely and medical care and expenses will be placed on the families if they were to contract covid19 (1)

— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 9, 2020

Not to mention the players coming from situations that are not good for them/ their future and having to go back to that. Football is a safe haven for so many people. We are more likely to get the virus in everyday life than playing football. Having a season also incentivizes –

— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 9, 2020

Let’s work together to create a situation where we can play the game that all of us love. Not divide and argue. There is a way forward

— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 9, 2020

Reports began to suffice on Sunday evening that the Big Ten was on the verge of cancelling its fall season and pushing other conferences to try join them in doing so. The league paused practices for the 2020 season. The Mid-American Conference announced on Saturday that it would not be holding a fall season.

A number of FCS conferences, including the Big Sky and Missouri Valley, announced that they would be pushing their seasons to the spring as well.

In response to those reports, Ohio State parents began circulating a letter saying they want to play. Former Georgia quarterback and current Buckeye Justin Fields also spoke up on the matter.

There’s been too much work put in!! #WeWantToPlay

— Justin Fields (@justnfields) August 10, 2020

Here's the letter being circulated by Ohio State football parents: pic.twitter.com/v6j1iFxcaX

— billlandis25 (@BillLandis25) August 9, 2020

A pair of SEC running backs also made their voices heard. Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill and Florida running back Lorenzo Lingard both weighed in on wanting a season and stated that they did not want to go back home.

I don’t want to go Home for a reason .. 🤦🏾‍♂️ everybody home / hometown not peaceful people get kilt every day / week in my city ..

— Kylin Hill (@H_Kylin) August 9, 2020

I want to play… even if we gotta be locked in .. nothing at home for me🤷🏾‍♂️.

— Lorenzo Lingard JR (@d1champ99) August 9, 2020

The SEC announced on the two additional opponents for the 2020 season on Friday, with the Bulldogs drawing a road game against Arkansas and a home game against Mississippi State. The league had planned to announce a full 2020 schedule for this season in the coming weeks, though that was before the events of this weekend.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, the SEC, Big 12 and PAC-12 are all set to meet this week.

The conference announced it would start padded practices on Aug. 17 in preparation for a season that is set to start on Sept. 26. That is when the SEC announced its first game would take place. The Big Ten, which came out with a full conference schedule with dates this past week, has its first game scheduled for Sept. 3, as Ohio State is set to play Illinois.

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