Ohio State quarterback asks Big Ten to ‘immediately reinstate the 2020 football season'

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields started a petition on MoveOn.Org on Sunday with the goal of changing the Big Ten Conference’s mind on playing the 2020 season this fall. The conference cancelled the fall season last week because of the coronavirus pandemic and announced it would try to play in the spring.

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The petition was addressed to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, Big Ten university presidents and Big Ten athletic directors. As of 1 p.m. Sunday, the petition had received almost 48,000 signatures. The goal was to reach 50,000.

“This cause is close to my heart,” Fields wrote on Twitter. “Please sign.”

The petition reads: “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. 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!”

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Fields launched his petition one day after the Football Parents Association at Ohio State wrote a letter to Warren asking him to reconsider the decision to cancel fall sports.

“We believe that the August 11th decision was made in haste,” the letter read. “As we have continued to learn nationally about COVID-19, our understanding and protocols in dealing with this virus have also continued to evolve. In the best interests of our players, we strongly believe that the Big Ten should re-evaluate its decision. Additional time and consideration provided by deferring the decision would allow for more data to be analyzed and evaluated. It would also allow the players to continue to safely prepare and train for a fall season.”