With the football program embroiled in a possible sexual assault case, and a player boycott in progress, it’s unlikely that Minnesota will honor its agreement to play in the Holiday Bowl against Washington State on Dec. 27, Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter Joe Christensen wrote late Friday night.
Citing anonymous sources, Christensen reported that the Minnesota players have refused to back down from their boycott to protest the suspensions of 10 teammates, and said this could result in Minnesota having to back out of the Holiday Bowl.
According to Christensen’s sources, a decision on whether the Gophers will play in San Diego will likely come by this morning at about 10 a.m. P.T.
The suspensions were handed down by the school this week in relation to a sexual assault incident from September in which a 22-year-old woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by a group of up to 20 football players, who lined up outside an apartment bedroom where they forced themselves upon her. The Hennepin (Minn.) County prosecutor declined to file charges earlier this fall, but the University of Minnesota launched its own Title IX investigation into the incident and found that the victim was a more credible source than the players investigators interviewed.
Minneapolis TV station KSTP published the university’s 80-page investigation report in its entirety Friday evening, and the document contained graphic details of the sexual assault that allegedly occurred in September.
However, the accused players and their attorney have contested the woman’s version of events, claiming the sexual contact was all consensual.
Minnesota President Eric Kaler issued a statement Friday maintaining the university’s position on the matter and saying the university will not compromise its values “for the sake of a bowl game.” Kaler’s statement emphasized the importance of campus safety and respect and said those principles were “far more important than any football game.”
Despite the uncertainty of who their opponent will be in San Diego, WSU has continued to practice and the Cougars’ players are trying to maintain their focus.
“We’ve been practicing really hard. We are just banking on the fact that we’re gonna play,” WSU senior receiver Gabe Marks said Friday evening.
If Minnesota decides to give up its bowl bid, Northern Illinois (5-7), of the Mid-American Conference, would be next in line to play in the Holiday Bowl based on its APR, which is higher than all other 5-7 teams that have yet to be invited to bowls.
However, the Huskies are already on winter break, and according to multiple reports, would find it logistically challenging to pull off this impromptu trip to San Diego.
As of Friday afternoon, a Northern Illinois athletics spokesperson said the school had not yet heard anything from the Holiday Bowl about being a possible replacement team.
But on Friday night, Northern Illinois Athletic Director Sean Frazier tweeted, “All due respect to reports concerning bowl difficulties! We have played in eight-straight bowl games and can manage our way through logistics!”
