Virginia Tech Football Players and Coaches Endorse #WeWantToPlay Movement

Photo Credit: Harley Taylor

The 2020 college football season happening as currently scheduled for the fall feels on the brink as rumors about the Big 10 postponing to the spring (and other conferences following) grew significant yesterday.

However, college football players want the opportunity to have their voices heard to do all they can to safely play college football this fall, pushing to have a voice at the table as the ones who would be in the line of fire.

That has led to a national #WeWantToPlay movement that has joined the #WeAreUnited movement that started in the Pac-12 and Big 10. Their goals involving ensuring all conferences have the procedures necessary to keep athletes safe which likely includes the two to three times a week testing that some Power 5 schools are starting to implement, the protection of eligibility for all players whether they play or opt out, and a seat at the table that "ultimately creates a college football player association."

College football's two biggest stars, Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields, were among the first to tweet out the unified graphic after midnight that Power 5 player reps from across the country had to agred to. Since several Tech players have tweeted out at least #WeWantToPlay with many tweeting out that same graphic including Tre Turner, Khalil Herbert, Justus Reed, Brock Hoffman, Jesse Hanson, and Justin Beadles with that list likely to grow throughout the day.

The players also don't appear to be alone in supporting this as multiple Virginia Tech coaches have also directly retweeted tweets with the graphic including offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen.

What's clear is that college football players want to play this fall season and want to make sure that all protocols are in place to safely do so, wanting a seat at the table to have their voices heard as the athletes who are directly competing rather than simply the voices of college presidents who oversee way more than just athletics for universities.

The fact of the matter is these presidents, who aren't going to be anywhere near the field, should give the players who they already looking at allowing to play on their own, a seat at the table as the ones actually risking their safety. Their voices should be heard, and probably should have been heard months ago to avoid this last minute situation.

The question of a fall 2020 CFB season no longer is just one of safety, but one of whether the university presidents, those who hold the ultimate power in the sport, are willing to give up a little of that and hand players a seat at the table to pull off the season?

Whether that happens in time for 2020 remains unknown, but players having a seat at the table is like a battering ram to a door, the entrance is going to bust open soon.