2016 Holiday Bowl

Football players at the University of Minnesota have ended their two-day protest and dropped their threat to boycott the team’s postseason bowl game over concerns about the school’s treatment of 10 suspended teammates.

WSU coach Mike Leach says he still is not paying attention to the boycott by Minnesota football players.

The suspensions of 10 Minnesota football players and the subsequent boycott by their teammates that raises doubt about the Golden Gophers’ participation in the Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl stems from sexual assault allegations that many around the football program thought had been addressed weeks ago.

The boycott by Minnesota football players has created uncertainty about Washington State’s opponent in the Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl, or even if the game will be played at all as it becomes more apparent that replacing the Golden Gophers would require solving large logistical problems.

Mike Leach says he will not change anything about Washington State’s preparation for its Holiday Bowl matchup against Minnesota, even as the Golden Gophers threaten to boycott the game.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch says the Cougars will start focusing on their upcoming opponent this weekend.

The indefinite suspensions of 10 Minnesota football players on Tuesday leaves the Golden Gophers particularly vulnerable against Washington State’s pass-heavy offense, given that the most prominent players involved are defensive backs.

When place in historical perspective, the Washington State football program is on a bowl game binge. The Cougars have been invited to 13 postseason bowl games since the program’s 1894 inception, and three of those have come over the past four seasons.

On Saturday, Dec. 10, Washington State’s senior football players walked across the stage at Beasley Coliseum to receive their diplomas. They sat through the ceremony, formed various groups for photos – some candid, some formal – then said goodbye to their friends and families and left for the locker room.