Report: Minnesota players preparing statement foregoing Holiday Bowl

A meeting late Friday night between University of Minnesota football players and school president Eric Kaler in regards to the suspension of 10 members of the team over a sexual assault allegation did not produce a solution, reports the Star Tribune's Joe Christensen.

Earlier in the week, players on the team staged a boycott of football activities, demanding their teammates be reinstated immediately. The Gophers are scheduled to play in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27.

Christensen writes that as of late Friday night, players are preparing a statement announcing they'll forego the game - to be played in San Diego - against Washington State.

Earlier Friday, Kaler said Minnesota players declined his offer to meet to discuss the situation, but a "late-night summit" did take place on campus, according to Christensen, albeit unsuccessfully. It included athletic director Mark Coyle and university regents.

Christensen's sources say a decision about the bowl game must be made Saturday by noon, local time, and that Kaler was actually not invited to Friday's summit, but showed up anyway.

A statement from Kaler on Friday about the suspensions handed down to 10 players included the following, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg:

That was a values-based decision by the Athletics Department and not a legal judgment. But we can tell you that certain behavior is simply unacceptable and antithetical to our institutional values. We support Gopher Athletics' decision because this is much bigger than football. It is about the values every University of Minnesota student is called on to uphold. We make these expectations clear, and when they are not met, there are consequences.

The university is investigating an allegation of sexual assault that occurred on Sept. 2. No charges were filed and no arrests were made.