T

here may finally be some 
clarity 
surrounding 
college football.
After a meeting on 
Tuesday morning, Big 
Ten Presidents and Chancellors voted to 
postpone fall sports.
“The mental and physical health and 
welfare of our student-athletes has been 
at the center of every decision we have 
made regarding the ability to proceed 
forward,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin 
Warren said. “As time progressed and 
after hours of discussion with our Big 
Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious 
Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine 
Committee, it became abundantly clear 
that there was too much uncertainty 
regarding potential medical risks to 

allow our student-athletes to compete 
this fall.”
Men’s 
and 
women’s 
soccer 
and 
cross country, field hockey, volleyball 
and football will all be affected by the 
decision.
The unprecedented move comes in 
times dominated by confusion. The 
decision was made a day after the Big Ten 
refuted multiple reports that the college 
Presidents of the conference voted to 
cancel fall athletics over the weekend. 
Reports are that the PAC-12 will follow 
the Big Ten’s path and postpone its 
season, with hopes of a Spring season for 
the sports affected.
“For the second time in five months, 
the Big Ten Conference made the 
unfortunate but necessary decision to 
postpone an athletic season in order to 
protect the health and well-being of our 
student-athletes, staff, and community 
members,” Michigan athletic directory 
Warde Manuel said in a release Tuesday. 
“As a result, all fall sport schedules have 
been postponed. This latest decision was 
reached after careful consideration and 
the grim knowledge that this pandemic 
continues 
to 
affect 
our 
country 
adversely. I am deeply saddened for our 
student-athletes and remain committed 
to our ongoing promise to provide them 
with a world-class education. We remain 
grateful to our global Michigan family 
for their unwavering support.”
The decision to cancel contradicts the 
wishes of its players and coaches, who 
took to Twitter Sunday to tweet support 
for playing football. Jim Harbaugh on 
Monday released a statement in support 
of playing football, saying his program 
has been able to limit the spread of 
COVID-19. Nebraska coach Scott Frost 
said Nebraska will explore every option 
to play football, even if the Big Ten votes 
to cancel.
“Our football team, our coaching staff, 
our support stadd in Schembechler Hall 
have all stepped up, followed every rule, 
and done everything in their power 
magnificently to give all the opportunity 
to compete,” Harbaugh’s new statement 
on Tuesday said. “I am extremely 
proud, thankful and appreciative of 
our team and how they have conducted 
and represented our program and 
university.”
A spokesperson for the football 
team told The Daily that the team will 
continue to hold voluntary practices, 
meetings and strength and conditioning 
for 20 hours per week, including practice 
on Tuesday. The statement released by 
athletic director Warde Manuel says that 

all athletic activities will be suspended 
immediately, including practices. The 
Daily was told that line will change 
on the announcement, as the Big Ten 
cleared Michigan to work under the 
20-hour rule.
University President Mark Schlissel 
released 
a 
statement 
on 
Twitter 
supporting the decision to postpone, in 
contrast with Harbaugh.
“I fully support the difficult Big 
Ten decision to postpone fall athletics 
competition,” Schlissel wrote. “There are 
too many poorly understood health and 
safety concerns unique to intercollegiate 
athletics to move forward with practices 
and competition at present -- and the 
impact of extreme physical exertion on 
the health risk of COVID-19 has not been 
well-assessed.
“I join athletic director Warde Manuel 
and everyone at Michigan Athletics 
in expressing my empathy to all who 
were looking forward to competing, 
coaching, 
supporting 
and 
cheering 
us on as members of the Wolverine 
family. I particularly feel badly for our 
student-athletes who gain so much from 
participation in their sports and are 
such outstanding representatives of the 
university. We will work hard to return 
them safely to competition.”
The delay gives both America and 
colleges time to contain the spread of the 
virus and adjust to the return of students, 
one of the biggest hurdles that still faces 
colleges trying to return safely and 
educate its students. In order for there to 
be sports, first the student population on 
campus must be healthy and the Big Ten 
needs to know the impact that students 
have on the numbers of COVID-19 cases.
“While I know our decision today will 
be disappointing in many ways for our 
thousands of student-athletes and their 
families,” Warren said, “I am heartened 
and inspired by their resilience, their 
insightful and discerning thoughts, 
and their participation through our 
conversations to this point. Everyone 
associated with the Big Ten Conference 
and its member institutions is committed 
to getting everyone back to competition 
as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Time, right now, is all the Big Ten 
has that can make the possibility of any 
sports a reality, something that schools 
across the country have been trying to 
get more of throughout the summer as 
the decision has been delayed time and 
time again. Now, it has until spring to 
make a the final decision.
Nicholas 
Stoll 
and 
Emma 
Stein 
contributed to the reporting of this story.

KENT SCHWARTZ
Summer Managing Sports Editor

Becca Mahon / Daily

File Photo / Daily

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020 | ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM | MICHIGANDAILY.COM

INDEX

NEWS .......................................................................
OPINION ..................................................................
ARTS/NEWS............................................................
MiC............................................................................
SPORTS.....................................................................

Vol. CXXIX, No. 126
 © 2020 The Michigan Daily 

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Big Ten votes to postpone 
Fall sports season

Decision reached following multiple 
days of speculation

