Gophers clear athletics schedule for Election Day

The University of Minnesota announced Tuesday that it has cleared its athletic department scheduled for Election Day.

According to the U of M, it won’t conduct any athletic-related activities on Nov. 3, 2020, to give student-athletes more time and flexibility to vote.

"Voting is a fundamental human right, and we encourage our student-athletes to exercise that right on Election Day," said Director of Athletics Mark Coyle. "Our student-athletes are the leaders of tomorrow and there is no better way to make sure their voice is heard than by voting on November 3."

The university said it has traditionally had strong voter turnout among its student body, leading the state, Big Ten and national championships in student voter turnout at 58.7%, which was higher than 44 states in 2018.