The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 29 ida State with Mike Norvell, they didn't have spring ball and they are new coaches, so they're farther behind. I think everybody's going to be a little behind fundamentally." University of Kansas director of athlet- ics Jeff Long — a former U-M associate athletics director — didn't sound quite as convinced on the certainty of the season. "Each day that goes by we feel more posi- tive," Long said on 'College Sports In The COVID-19 Era' on the Kansas City Public Library's YouTube channel. "But, candidly, we really don't know. I think things are posi- tive, but they're far from certain that we will get this season started Sept. 5." Long noted testing will play a key role, and that he and his staff have made contin- gency plans for anywhere from 20 percent to 100 percent occupancy of the KU football stadium this fall. "A lot is unknown," Long noted. "But I would say that it's positive at this point. We're moving in a positive direction. I think that many schools will get through the sea- son. But some won't. The truth will be some- where in between that. Again, I go back to we don't know. We're not in control. The virus is, when it comes to how it impacts our teams." Some have posed the question, why are we safer now than we were in March? Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vander- bilt University, provided an unequivocal an- swer in USA Today. "We're not," said Schaffner, who serves on an NCAA advisory panel. "We will start developing the answers as we're doing," he continued. "This is not a circumstance where a lot of answers will be firmly in hand before we start. … We have to be flexible as we get more information and ready to change the plan. "It's much like war plans. They look great on paper, and the moment the war starts, you've got to modify them. And people have to be open to that." Florida AD Scott Stricklin echoed the sen- timent of many, in an ESPN.com update. "My motto has been, 'Predict nothing and prepare for everything,'" Stricklin said. "Anybody who tells you they think they know right now is making it up. But we're going to prepare as if we are because we have a schedule, and if we're going to get there and play games, we've got to be ready to go." Clemson AD Dan Radakovich also told ESPN he's looking ahead, despite the "We have a problem" situation in Houston. "I think we've all learned how to stop," Radakovich said. "I'm less concerned of being able to fold the curtain down and say stop. The greater challenge is if we do move ahead and we do have competitions and we do open our stadiums, how do we say go?" Teeing It Up Jansen's answer involves taking all nec- essary precautions and weighing risks. He knows exactly what he'd do, if given the opportunity to dial the clock back 22 years and experience a senior season of Michigan football. "No question," he said. "If they called me now, I'd say, hey, let's go." Last he checked, Washtenaw County had experienced zero deaths involving CO- VID-19 for those between the ages of 0-39. That signals to him an opportunity to play the percentages — and play football. "I look at that and go, yeah, I could get sick as an 18- to 22-year-old," he said. "And there's always an exception to every rule. You would hate for it to be you, one of your teammates, one of your loved ones. "But when it comes down to it, we've got to find a way to live with this. Until we have a vaccine, until we have medication to treat it, you've got to find a way to live with it." Once again, it comes down to a choice, unless the choice is made at a higher pay grade. "This is my personal decision," Jansen said. "If I was playing for Michigan football, if I was playing in the NFL, my personal de- cision would be that I could accept that risk. I'm willing to play. "Just like I'm willing to accept the risk of concussion and I'm willing to accept the risk of breaking my ankle or my hands, which I did. That's all a part of the risk you take when you leave your front door in the morn- ing. I'm willing to take that risk." Manuel issues no complaints about ex- traordinary preparations for an aberrant sea- son. "I'm not going to lament anything we have to deal with," the AD said. "There are many who are dealing with this in a much harder, harsher way than we have to deal with in sports. "Sports will come back to normal, at some point. I just don't have enough information to predict when that will happen yet — but it will. We'll all be able to be in the same room together someday in the future. Hopefully that's sooner, rather than later." ❏ Students Will Be On Campus In The Fall University of Michigan President Dr. Mark Schlissel shook up U-M football fans across the country when he declared there wouldn't be any Wolverines on the field without students on campus. On June 22, Schlissel checked that box off the football fans' worry list. Schlissel released the following in the tweet: "I'm pleased to announce that @UMich plans to offer an in-residence fall semester consisting of a mixture of in-person & remote classes, re - flecting our commitment to public health while fulfilling our fundamental mission of providing a world-class education." Schlissel went on to note: "Thanks to the thoughtful and deliberate efforts of hundreds of members of the U-M commu - nity, our cautious optimism about the fall has coalesced into a path forward. Their work has given me confidence that we can do this safely, and we will continue to plan and prepare in the months ahead. We now have the opportunity to begin a new journey together, equipped with the very best guidance and ideas from our leading scholars, innovative students and expert staff. "Because of the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, the semester ahead will look and feel different than anything we have seen before. But the pandemic won't change our commitment to the members of our community." Just days earlier, U-M director of athlet - ics Warde Manuel reminded everyone that without students on campus, there would be no Michigan football in the fall. For both track athletes and football play - ers, it's one more hurdle cleared. — John Borton President Mark Schlissel announced June 22 that stu- dents would return to campus in the fall, something he previously said had to happen for football to be played. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN