For the first time in more than a century, the college football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State will be paused.
Michigan canceled Saturday’s game against the No. 3-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus due to “an increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases and student-athletes in quarantine over the past week,” the school announced Tuesday.
“The number of positive tests has continued to trend in an upward direction over the last seven days,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “We have not been cleared to participate in practice at this time.
“Unfortunately, we will not be able to field a team due to COVID-19 positives and the associated quarantining required of close-contact individuals. This decision is disappointing for our team and coaches but their health and safety is paramount, and it will always come first in our decision-making.”
In a series that dates back to 1897, the Big 10 staples have played every year since 1918, with Michigan holding a 58-51-6 advantage.
The halting of the old rivalry has immediate implications for Ohio State. The Buckeyes will now finish the regular season 5-0, leaving them one game short of the minimum to play in the Big Ten conference championship.
According to ESPN.com, Big Ten athletic directors will meet Wednesday to discuss changing that threshold.
“I just think we have to take a hard look periodically at all this stuff and this is one of those situations,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “If we don’t quite get the game we need to get in the championship game, I think that needs to be looked at hard, just like anybody else in the conference. There’s no easy solution in times like this.”
Northwestern is the leader of the West Division and currently would play Indiana in the conference’s title game.
Michigan (2-4) was forced to suspend all football activities last week due to a COVID outbreak that left at least a dozen members of the program affected, according to the Detroit Free Press. Last week’s game against Maryland also was scrapped.
The football squad participated in “limited workouts” Monday, but the COVID numbers have not improved enough to play Saturday against Ohio State.
