© Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
With the Big 10 Conference on the verge of cancelling its football season (the Pac-12 is expected to follow) Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh sent a statement to media with a strong message.
He wants to play.
Harbaugh says his football program program has only had 11 positive tests out of 893, and none of the last 353 tests that the football program has administered have come back negative.
“It is proven that the conduct, discipline and structure within our program have led to these stellar results. We respect the challenge that the virus has presented however we will not cower from it.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement on why he’s advocating they play football this season citing recent numbers and protocols followed pic.twitter.com/8SBHPlSlQv
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) August 10, 2020
ESPN has reported that commissioners of Power 5 conferences held an “emergency meeting” on Sunday, with one Power 5 AD saying “It doesn’t look good.”
Several high-profile college football players wrote statements over the weekend saying they want to play in the fall, most-notably Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. They also advocated for the creation of a college football players association.
“People are at just as much, if not more risk, if we don’t play,” Lawrence said. “Players will all be sent home to their own communities where social distancing is highly unlikely and medical care and expenses will be placed on the families if they were to contract COVID-19. Not to mention the players coming from situations that are not good for them/ their future and having to go back to that. Football is a safe haven for so many people.”