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Mizzou football team vows not to play until Wolfe is removed as president

COLUMBIA, Mo. – In perhaps the largest development in the ongoing University of Missouri saga, the school’s football team announced Saturday night they would not play another down as long as President Tim Wolfe remains in power.

The statement in the attached tweet by the Legion of Black Collegians states,

“The athletes of color on the University of Missouri football team truly believe ‘Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere’ We will no longer participate in any football related activities until President Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students’ experiences. WE ARE UNITED!!!!!”

Deadspin is also reporting that a player has said the MU coaching staff supports the players’ decision.

This development represents a new apex in the mounting struggle by black Mizzou students’ seeking Wolfe’s resignation. Jonathan Butler, a Mizzou graduate student, is on day six of a hunger strike and members of Concerned Student 1950 have been camping out on Carnahan Quad for the past week. They are protesting what they see as a hostile campus environment after two instances this academic year where white students yelled racial slurs at black students, one of whom was the university’s student body president.

General discontent on the campus has also hit fever pitch. Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin has come under criticism by students and faculty for his decision to eliminate contracts with Planned Parenthood and medical privileges for a doctor with the health care organization, both decisions perceived to have been made under intense political pressure from conservative leaders in Jefferson City.

Missouri Student Association President Payton Head also added that he would hold his own boycott.

UPDATE 10:13 p.m.: Mizzou Athletics released a statement:

The Department of Athletics is aware of the declarations made tonight by many of our student-athletes. We all must come together with leaders from across our campus to tackle these challenging issues and we support our student-athletes right to do so.