Battle for the Big Ten: Fans celebrate return of the fall season
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Husker football is back on! Wednesday morning, the Big Ten Conference decided to move forward with the fall season.
Following there decision to postpone fall sports back in August, the conference received major pushback from players, fans, and businesses. With the hashtag #WeWantToPlay quickly began trending on social media and lawsuits being filed against the Big Ten, the conference began rediscussing the decision within the next couple months.
The American Athletic Conference when it got word the Big Ten is coming back… pic.twitter.com/7A4klhabwo
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) September 16, 2020
WE ARE BACK ☠️🎈 pic.twitter.com/OAd3GK0RG7
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) September 16, 2020
— Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) September 16, 2020
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL IS BACK pic.twitter.com/OiDNowx86W
— Sports Nation Ohio (@SN_Ohio) September 16, 2020
After standing their ground, the #WeWantToPlay community took over social media, ecstatic this fall won’t be without college football.
The Nebraska Huskers and Iowa Buckeyes, the most vocal in the battle for the Big Ten, are now among the first to celebrate. The classic rivals coming together over their love of the game.
Let’s goooooo!!!!!! @bigten FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!! Let’s go @ohiostatefb!!!! Let’s get this National Championship Buckeyes! @ohiostathletics @theohiostateuniversity @theohiostatealumni via @espn @ Chicago, Illinois https://t.co/9khe7tbZwo
— Rob Parks Jr. (@Rparksjr85) September 16, 2020
Nebraska and Ohio State looking at the rest of the B1G pic.twitter.com/punxYvRH11
— Scotty Husker (@ScottyHusker) September 16, 2020
BUCKEYES ARE BACK BABY!!! WoOoOo!!!! #Oct24 #GoNuts
— Zane Lawrence (@TrapaSoreAssRex) September 16, 2020
HUSKER FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! #Huskers #GBR 🌽☠️🏈 pic.twitter.com/lNYcSFYtZP
— Jeremy J. Anderson 🎙📻 (@Jeremy_J_KCSR) September 16, 2020
THE BIG TEN HAS ENTERED THE CHAT pic.twitter.com/k2R6PuSxXF
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 16, 2020
Fire up the grill and whip up the red beers! Husker football is back! #Huskers
— Mut McConaughy (@MuricaMut) September 16, 2020
#LetUsPlay❌#WeGetToPlay✅ pic.twitter.com/77u5KSqmo3
— Drue Chrisman (@DChrisman91) September 16, 2020
So excited for Buckeye Nation and enthusiastically support unanimous @bigten decision to give our student-athletes an opportunity to compete in the sports they love this fall. Grateful to Big Ten colleagues, @OSU_AD, @ryandaytime, and all our coaches and athletes. Go Buckeyes!
— Kristina M. Johnson (@PresKMJohnson) September 16, 2020
Of course, the players themselves couldn’t hold back their excitement.
Like we never left. https://t.co/xrVPTfPHbf
— Luke McCaffrey (@mccaffrey_luke) September 16, 2020
Thanks to all those who fought. All for the Glory of the LORD! #RIDEWITCHRIST pic.twitter.com/8TdUroTv04
— Master W. Teague III (@MasterTeagueIII) September 16, 2020
We Back. Beyond excited to go out and compete with my brothers😈 pic.twitter.com/CJ8BWd42bz
— Bradley Robinson (@BRobinson_42) September 16, 2020
🤗🤗🤗
— Wan’Dale Robinson (@wanda1erobinson) September 16, 2020
MOOD.😎 pic.twitter.com/G54CaQITwM
— Ben Stille (@b_stille_) September 16, 2020
Andddddddd we’re back 😎#LFG pic.twitter.com/P4ZEgs8qXS
— Jack Stoll (@StollJack) September 16, 2020
Like a kid on Christmas morning.. Let’s eat!! #WeArePlaying pic.twitter.com/FTRwjDrCeY
— Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) September 16, 2020
Like a kid on Christmas morning.. Let’s eat!! #WeArePlaying pic.twitter.com/FTRwjDrCeY
— Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) September 16, 2020
Like a kid on Christmas morning.. Let’s eat!! #WeArePlaying pic.twitter.com/FTRwjDrCeY
— Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) September 16, 2020
Like a kid on Christmas morning.. Let’s eat!! #WeArePlaying pic.twitter.com/FTRwjDrCeY
— Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) September 16, 2020
Mood pic.twitter.com/Dh8Lk4Qwos
— Chris Olave (@chrisolave_) September 16, 2020
LESSSGOOOO!!! Better late than never🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/GfKGSOlJ6J
— Drue Chrisman (@DChrisman91) September 16, 2020
Nebraska Against The World ☠️ pic.twitter.com/HAMI0oz59L
— Collin Miller (@C_millz31) September 16, 2020
Let’s gooooo!!!!!! #GBR pic.twitter.com/Zlv6vNCP0L
— Dedrick D. Mills (@MillsDedrick) September 16, 2020
Let’s play some football! pic.twitter.com/VxYXYY9ZKD
— Adrian Martinez (@MartinezTheQB) September 16, 2020
No way I can get this all in one tweet, but I am so grateful to Coach Day, Gene Smith, President Johnson, Dr. Borchers, and most of all our players and our parents for all of their hard work! #fromthedepthsofdespairtothemountaintop #BIA #FIGHT #WEAREPLAYING
— Kerry Coombs (@DB_CoachCoombs) September 16, 2020
Governor Pete Ricketts also gave a shout out to those who pushed for this season to happen.
Thank you to everyone from President @realDonaldTrump and parents of players to @UofNE_President, @coach_frost, and Mike Flood who successfully fought to bring @Huskers football back! https://t.co/1nYHuTQ3l6
— Gov. Pete Ricketts (@GovRicketts) September 16, 2020
Even Congressman Jeff Fortenberry can’t contain his Husker spirit.
Great to see our Huskers will be back on the field in October! Go Big Red! pic.twitter.com/mg0sZii8pu
— Jeff Fortenberry for Congress (@supportfortNE) September 16, 2020
Ben Sasse released a statement, saying, “The Big Ten’s presidents, chancellors, and the ‘return to competition task force’ deserve credit for reevaluating and concluding that we can responsibly bring back football. We need to keep working to beat this nasty virus, but today’s decision is a good signpost that, with prudent practices and rigorous testing regimes, we can keep moving back toward normal.”
Even the U.S. President weighs in, glad teams will be back on the field.
Great News: BIG TEN FOOTBALL IS BACK. All teams to participate. Thank you to the players, coaches, parents, and all school representatives. Have a FANTASTIC SEASON! It is my great honor to have helped!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 16, 2020