D-III Grinnell College Forfeits Final 7 Games with 11 of 39 Players Injured

The Grinnell Pioneers football team will forfeit the remaining seven games of their 2019 season after a series of injuries left just 28 healthy players on the roster. 

Grinnell College announced the decision Tuesday in a statement on its official website:

"This decision is in line with the Athletic Department's mission, which states that student-athletes benefit from an integrated, co-curricular experience that upholds the academic mission of the college as the department provides individualized and group instruction in a safe environment, celebrates academic excellence, and emphasizes experiential learning. The current state of the football team precludes the college from providing a safe environment.

"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."

Grinnell started the campaign with a 39-player roster.

The Pioneers, who compete in the Midwest Conference of Division III college football, opened the season with three straight losses by a combined score of 114-3.

Kicker Ricky Morri provided the only points of the campaign with a 33-yard field goal in Saturday's loss to the Macalester Scots.