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Army football coach Jeff Monken explained why his team deserved a bowl game and torched teams who decided to opt out of bowl season leaving his nine-win football team without any chance of playing again this month or next month.
Army could have played in the Independence Bowl, but organizers said in a statement that the "opting-out of possible teams created a lack of teams available to play in bowl games and the 2020 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl."
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Army would have played a Pac-12 team in that game but a number of Pac-12 schools opted out of the bowl season over COVID-19 concerns. USC, Washington, Utah and Arizona State were among the schools that chose not to play in the college football postseason.
Monken told ESPN on Monday some of his players were upset after finding out there was no bowl game for them.
"We had guys in tears," Monken said. "We pulled off the biggest wins of these seniors' career, they just won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy back, that's going to be their legacy, and they're looking forward to playing in a bowl game one time together, before they go off in the United States Army, and we're sitting here telling them, ‘Sorry, guys, you can't play.’"
In this Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, file photo, Army head coach Jeff Monken looks on against Navy during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Point, N.Y., in the 121st playing of the Army-Navy game. Army has a 9-2 record and was planning to play in the Independence Bowl. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
He continued: "You can talk about a playoff system and people bitching about they're not a top-four team, 'Oh, we should be in.' All we want is a bowl game. All we want is a chance to play."
ARMY, WITH 9 WINS, FIGHTS FOR BOWL GAME: 'THEY DESERVE BETTER. PERIOD'
Monken admitted some concern when Pac-12 teams began to opt out but he still felt like there would stil be a suitor for the Black Knights. He said he was confused why a team like USC would campaign for the College Football Playoff but opt out after losing the Pac-12 title.
"It just doesn't make any sense to me that you can go from wanting to play to not wanting to play in a matter of 12 hours," Monken said.
Monken pleaded with teams not to "say no to Army." He noted that he understands because teams wouldn’t want just a week for a team who runs an option-style offense.
"Don't say no to Army, because you're not just saying no to our team. You're saying no to the 1.3 million people who serve on active duty all over the world who want to have that source of pride represented in a bowl game," he told ESPN. "These seniors have made a pledge to put their lives on the line for every other college football player in this country, for every college football fan, for everybody that's involved in these decisions. Somehow, some way, somebody should say, 'We're going to make a way for this team to play."
Fourteen bowl games were canceled because of coronavirus concerns or lack of available teams to schedule. The Military Bowl, which pits a team from the American Athletic Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference against each other, is also reportedly on the chopping block this season.
Army Athletic Director Mike Buddie also pleaded for a shot in a statement Sunday.
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"These young men haven’t quit all year and we surely won’t quit now," Buddie said in a statement. "They deserve better. Period. They have earned an opportunity to get 10 wins and, as we have all year, we will continue to fight to get them that opportunity. "We want to thank all the constituents at the Independence Bowl for their invitation and hospitality as we were looking forward to our trip to the City of Shreveport."
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