Michigan’s football game this weekend against Maryland has been canceled, and the Wolverines are pausing practice until Monday.
Michigan says the decision to pause in-person football activities was made in consultation with medical professionals. The team did not meet in person the previous two days after Coach Jim Harbaugh said there had been an increased number of presumptive positive COVID-19 tests.
“The decision by our medical professionals to stop practices and cancel this Saturday’s game against Maryland was made with the health, safety and welfare of the student-athletes, coaches and staff as our utmost priority,” Athletic Director Warde Manuel said. “We have seen an increase in the number of student-athletes unavailable to compete due to positive tests and associated contact tracing due to our most recent antigen and PCR testing results.”
Michigan is 0-3 at home this season, and the Maryland game was the last scheduled home game. The Wolverines are scheduled to play at rival Ohio State on Dec. 12.
Manuel strongly rebuked any notion that the Wolverines would try to avoid facing Ohio State, calling the notion “ridiculous” and infuriating in a scathing statement that came after a comment by ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback. A cancellation would make Ohio State (4-0) ineligible to play in the Big Ten championship game because it wouldn’t reach the minimum number for six games.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Manuel said. “I have to pause because my words, the anger – I was infuriated by the insinuation that Michigan would do anything other than play a football game. We’ve been playing this game since 1879 – 1879 – and we’re the winningest program for a reason. Because we play whoever’s in front of us. And the only way we want to keep anybody from moving on is to beat them on the fields of play. And to insinuate that, to say something other than that, is a statement by a fool.”
MISSISSIPPI HAS suspended team activities during its open date.
Coach Lane Kiffin said positive COVID-19 test results came back Wednesday morning. He said the team would wait on results from Wednesday’s retesting and could return to the practice field after as little as a one-day hiatus.
KENT STATE’S football game at Miami (Ohio) scheduled for Saturday has been canceled because of positive COVID-19 tests.
The Mid-American Conference issued a statement saying the game has been declared a no contest.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
(17) TEXAS 69, (14) NORTH CAROLINA 67: Matt Coleman III hit a stepback jumper with 0.1 seconds left, and the Longhorns (4-0) beat the Tar Heels (3-1) in the championship game of the relocated Maui Invitational in Asheville, North Carolina.
Coleman finished with 22 points and was the tournament’s most valuable player for the Longhorns, who blew a 16-point lead late in the first half and fell behind with about 2½ minutes left.
(1) GONZAGA 87, (11) WEST VIRGINIA 82: Joel Ayayi matched his career high with 21 points, and the Bulldogs (3-0) rallied to beat the Mountaineers (3-1) in the Jimmy V Classic in Indianapolis.
(23) OHIO STATE 77, MOREHEAD STATE 44: E.J. Liddell scored 16 points and the Buckeyes (3-0) cruised past Morehead State (1-3) in Columbus, Ohio.
GEORGE MASON has called off its game at Maryland scheduled for Friday because of what the Virginia school says is a positive COVID-19 test within the program.
George Mason announced that its team “temporarily paused activities” after the result showed up during routine testing, which happens three times a week.
Maryland (3-0) announced it will host St. Peter’s on Friday instead.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(12) TEXAS A&M 80, LAMAR 63: N’dea Jones had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Aaliyah Wilson added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and the Aggies (3-0) beat the Cardinals (0-4) in College Station, Texas.
(19) OHIO STATE 103, KENT STATE 47: Dorka Juhasz and Jacy Sheldon each scored 16 points for the Buckeyes (2-0) in a win over the Golden Flashes (0-1) at Columbus, Ohio.
WISCONSIN SAYS its Dec. 8 home game with Prairie View A&M has been canceled because of protocols related to COVID-19.
The Badgers’ Big Ten opener Saturday at Iowa remains on as scheduled.
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