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| Photo by Matt McClure, d3photography.com |
Grinnell has made the decision to withdraw the football team from competitive play for the rest of the season to protect the health and safety of its student-athletes. Team members have received numerous injuries this season, leaving 28 players on the 39-member roster healthy and qualified for play.
Let's call the whole thing offHere are some notable incidents of schools suspending football from the past 20 years: 2018, Earlham: The Quakers suspended their football program following the season. 2005, Lewis & Clark: The Pioneers dropped their Northwest Conference slate after opening the season with 34 players. 2000, Mount Ida: After losing its opener to Western Connecticut 47-0, the Mustangs dropped their second scheduled game (Wesley) and their eighth (Brockport) but played the rest. They went 0-8 on the season, scoring just 16 points. 2014, Maranatha Baptist: The Crusaders called off three of their nine scheduled games, leaving them with six, all of which they lost. Maranatha started the 2014 season with 30 players. The school has since dropped football.
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Over the 2019 schedule, the team has compiled a 0-3 record. The seven remaining games are considered no-contests, in accordance with NCAA rules, beginning with the Oct. 5 game against St. Norbert. The Pioneers have been outscored 114-3 in that time frame.
In one of those contests, the game was actually shortened. Grinnell played at Lake Forest in Week 2 and the third and fourth quarter were shortened by mutual agreement to 10 minutes apiece.
Such program cancellations are not unprecedented in Division III football. Occidental pulled the plug on its 2017 season after three games for similar reasons.
The Pioneers returned 15 starters from last season's team, and was expected to field a relatively veteran roster this season.
According the the college's announcement, this decision is in line with the athletic department’s mission, which states that student-athletes benefit from an integrated, co-curricular experience that upholds the academic mission of the college as the department provides individualized and group instruction in a safe environment, celebrates academic excellence, and emphasizes experiential learning. The current state of the football team precludes the college from providing a safe environment.