Michigan has paused in-person activities and canceled Saturday’s scheduled game at Maryland due to “an increase in the number of student-athletes unavailable to compete due to positive COVID-19 tests and associated contact tracing,” the school announced Wednesday.
“The decision by our medical professionals … was made with the health, safety and welfare of the student-athletes, coaches and staff as our utmost priority,” said athletic director Warde Manuel in a released statement. Michigan will continue with daily testing. The earliest the Wolverines could resume practice would be Monday.
Michigan has only Ohio State left
Michigan (2-4) has just one game remaining, on Dec. 19 at No. 4 Ohio State (4-0). The Wolverines will finish the year winless at home (0-3) after canceling their home finale. It marks the first time ever, since the Wolverines began playing in Ann Arbor in 1883, that Michigan has gone winless at home.
The game is the third this season wiped out by COVID for Maryland (2-2). The Terrapins, because of issues in their own program, canceled home games against Ohio State and Michigan State last month.
Ohio State, meanwhile, canceled its road game at Illinois last weekend due to increasing COVID numbers within the Buckeyes’ program, including head coach Ryan Day. Ohio State is currently set to host Michigan State on Saturday.
The Buckeyes, ranked No. 4 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, need to play both the Spartans and the Wolverines in order to qualify for the Big Ten conference championship game. The conference established a six-game minimum for teams to qualify as a division champion. If Ohio State is unable to play either at home against Michigan State, or in the finale on Dec. 12 against Michigan, it will be unable to reach that six-game threshold.
Michigan-Maryland is the second Big Ten game to be canceled this week, joining the Minnesota-Northwestern contest.
–Field Level Media ()