University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel said that without students on campus in the fall, there would be no football or any other fall sports.

The statement came during an interview with The Wall Street Journal that was released on Sunday. Some colleges in Michigan have already announced their plans for learning in the fall, but Michigan is still waiting to see how the pandemic plays out. You can see the list of schools that have decided what they are going to do here.

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In the interview Schlissel left no doubt that this season would be unlike any other if Michigan plays football. He said that if the Wolverines are able to take the field, it could be in a much smaller venue than the Big House. Michigan has held multiple attendance records over the years, but none of them will be broken this fall.

University Of Michigan Press Conference Announcing Athletic Director David Brandon Resignation
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Schlissel is a physician-scientist, so I think he's probably fairly informed on what is going on. He made the statement that everyone is thinking right now when it comes to the future. Without a vaccine, what is going to be different in the Fall? He did say that there will be a decision coming in the next couple of weeks.

This is one of the situations where people will be irrationally angry no matter what the final decision is. The people who want to return to normal despite the health risks will flip out if the season is cancelled. If Michigan decides to play through the pandemic, people will be waiting for the first case of Coronavirus to pop up because of the crowds and games.

I think that as the leader of a major organization, Schlissel has to error on the side of caution here. No sport, or tradition is worth putting thousands of people at risk. I guess we will have to wait and see how it plays out in the coming weeks.

 

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