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The past three springs, Michigan has been to Rome, Paris and South Africa. But this year, Wolverines players hoping to travel abroad are gonna have to get used to sticking to Ann Arbor.
The maize and blue hadn’t announced its annual excursion this year, with Jim Harbaugh saying earlier that he was going to be surprised by the staff after putting it together. But — surprise! The trip has been canceled due to global health concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
As reported by the Detroit Free Press’ Orion Sang:
“The football team will not be taking an international trip this spring due to the health concerns around the world, most notably coronavirus.” U-M spokesman Dave Ablauf told the Free Press on Monday. “The program is looking at doing some community service in the Ann Arbor area.”
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is a deadly respiratory illness that has spread rapidly since being reported Dec. 31 from Wuhan, China. There have been over 79,000 cases worldwide, and over 2,500 deaths. COVID-19 has now been detected in 32 locations internationally, including several cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Wolverines had yet to finalize travel plans, but “quite a few ideas were discussed,” according to Ablauf.
Given the health scare across the globe, it’s a good deal to have canceled this trip outright.
Last year, upon returning, while it’s never been confirmed whether or not it was related to the South Africa trip, Michigan cornerback Ambry Thomas came down with a wicked bout of colitis, which he battled until the eve of the season. He was limited in camp due to his illness and wasn’t confirmed to be ready to play until he actually took the field as the starter in the season opener.
Regardless, while it’s assuredly disappointing for those players that hoped to travel and partake in an international cultural experience, their safety is paramount. Michigan made the right decision not to unnecessarily put its players at risk.