Just days after a Wisconsin high school was forced to cancel the remaining four games of its season due to injuries, a Division III college has met with the same fate.
Grinnell College in Iowa today announced that it has made the decision to withdraw its football team from competitive play for the rest of the season to “protect the health and safety of its student-athletes,” as the numerous injuries this season have left the original 39-man roster with just 28 active players.
A statement on the school’s website read:
The College is unwilling to compromise the health and safety of its players, including the 11 players, who over the course of the first seven weeks of practice and play, will miss some or all of the season
In its competitive schedule, the team has compiled a 0-3 record, losing those games by a combined score of 114-3. The seven remaining season games will be forfeited during the suspension, beginning with the Oct. 5 game against St. Norbert College.
The news comes in the wake of Westfield (Wisc.) High School’s decision this week to end its season for the same reason. Westfield's varsity team began the season with just 19 players on its roster. By last week, that number had dwindled to just 13, mainly due to concussions.
