(WXYZ) — The University of Michigan athletic department is "deeply saddened" for student athletes after the Big Ten Conference announced it is immediately postponing all fall sports.
Big Ten postpones 2020 fall sports, hopes to play in spring
All athletic contests and conference championships for fall teams, including cross country, field hockey, football, soccer and volleyball, are postponed.
The University of Michigan will decided organized team and voluntary student-athlete activities as soon as information becomes available.
Warde Manuel, the UM Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics, released the following statement after the announcement:
"For the second time in five months, the Big Ten Conference made the unfortunate but necessary decision to postpone an athletic season in order to protect the health and well-being of our student-athletes, staff, and community members. As a result, all fall sport schedules have been postponed. This latest decision was reached after careful consideration and the grim knowledge that this pandemic continues to affect our country adversely. I am deeply saddened for our student-athletes and remain committed to our ongoing promise to provide them with a world-class education. We remain grateful to our global Michigan family for their unwavering support."
Coach Harbaugh released the following statement after the decision:
Our student-athletes and coaches want to compete. They have committed, trained and prepared their entire lives for this opportunity, and I know how much they’re disappointed at this time. I share in their disappointment today.
We have shown over the weeks since returning to campus that we could meet the challenge and provide our student-athletes the opportunity of a fall football season.
Our football team, our coaching staff, our support staff in Schembechler Hall have all stepped up, followed every rule, and done everything in their power magnificently to give all the opportunity to compete. I am extremely proud, thankful and appreciative of our team and how they have conducted and represented our program and university.
All third-party competitions or events scheduled for UM athletic facilities remain canceled. All athletic activities, including practices, are suspended, effective immediately, including team practices for all fall, winter and spring sports.
