The NCAA decided Wednesday to grant individual schools and conferences the authority to decide whether they will play scheduled athletic events, including this weekend's football games.

Our opinion is that we need to play this weekend. Readers have sent us their reaction.

D3football.com has asked officials at all 229 Division III institutions about the status of their contests, and of those that have responded with a definitive answer, the overwhelming majority has declared an intention to play on.

"The word I've been given from our athletic director is that the Iowa Conference's stance is to stick with business as usual whenever possible, and not let terrorism defeat us," said Central SID Larry Happel, who added each IIAC school is free to make its own decision.

"The only time an F&M game was cancelled was in 1963, at Ursinus when President Kennedy was assassinated," said Ed Haas, assistant director of athletics at Franklin & Marshall. And while that decision was the right one to make at that time, "we have no intention of ever doing that again."

F&M plays at Ursinus on Saturday; Ursinus planned to compete but noted they were continuing to evaluate the situation.