The Big Ten football season is on the verge being officially canceled or postponed, but Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is hoping conference officials will change their minds.
With reports swirling that the Big Ten has already voted to cancel the 2020 football season, Harbaugh issued a lengthy statement breaking down why he believes schools should play. He said his argument has nothing to do with his personal desire to play or that of his players, but rather “the facts accumulated over the last eight weeks since our players returned to campus on June 13.”
Statement from Jim Harbaugh. pic.twitter.com/CftMW7d5lC
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) August 10, 2020
One of the points Harbaugh made was that Michigan’s positive COVID-19 tests are trending in the right direction, with zero positive tests in the last 353 administered and none among coaches or staff members over the entire eight-week period. Harbaugh also noted that there are contact tracing protocols in place, and no cases of the coronavirus have been traced to playing fields, weight rooms, locker rooms or any other area of the Michigan football team’s facility.
Harbaugh called the results “stellar” since players returned to campus and said he believes that can continue.
If the Big Ten does cancel fall football, that will make it more likely that other major conferences do the same. One star player made his case on Sunday for why he believes the season should continue, but things are trending in the opposite direction.
