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As we inch closer and closer to both the lifting of state stay-at-home orders as well as what’s supposed to be the 2020 college football season, multiple questions remain: will there actually be a season? And if there is, what will it look like?
There’s been a ton of speculation about the matter. Could it be moved to next spring? If it’s held at the regular time, are non-conference games canceled? Will fans be allowed to attend?
Michigan is accustomed to having ‘the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America today,’ but the Wolverines head coach is more than willing to sacrifice that if it means having the 2020 season take place as scheduled.
Appearing on ESPN’s morning show Get Up!, Jim Harbaugh first mentioned that there needs to be adequate testing for the season to go on as scheduled, but for the fans portion, he and the team are ok should the mammoth Michigan Stadium remain empty for the Wolverines’ upcoming contests.
“Heck yeah, I’d be comfortable coaching a game without any fans,” Harbaugh said. “If the choice were play in front of no fans or not play, then I would choose to play in front of no fans.
“… Darn near every guy I’ve talked to on our team, that’s the way they feel about it.”
Harbaugh made multiple references to the need for testing for his players and staff.
Michigan Stadium, famously nicknamed “The Big House,” holds over 107,000 fans, and Harbaugh doubts a capacity crowd could be safely tested before a game.
“You can definitely test both teams. You can test the officials and everybody,” Harbaugh said. “Can you test 100,000 fans coming into a stadium? Probably not — probably not without a vaccine, you couldn’t do that.”
For now, we have no idea what will happen. One of the more important aspects to a season happening on time is giving the players enough time to actually prepare for the season.
Ohio State, which was able to hold several weeks of spring practice before COVID-19 cancelations hit America, is able to return June 8, but the state of Michigan hasn’t announced any plans for the lower peninsula to open up shop once again — meaning, who knows when players can return to Schembechler Hall.
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Watch Harbaugh’s appearance below:
http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=29199324
http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=29199324