The Michigan Wolverines at Iowa Hawkeyes football game has been canceled due to COVID-19, it was announced on Tuesday.
The two schools were scheduled to meet at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, Dec. 19. The game, recently scheduled as part of Big Ten Champions Week, was canceled due to continuing COVID-19 positive test results and contact tracing issues with the Wolverines.
“In accordance with the Big Ten COVID-19 medical policies and health guidelines, we are without a significant number of players for this week’s game,” Michigan Director of Athletics Warde Manuel said. “Couple that with the normal attrition due to injury, and we do not have enough available players at multiple position groups to field a team at Iowa. We have more student-athletes out this week compared to last week and the week prior.
“The number of positive tests over the past three weeks, which require a 21-day unavailability period, and the contact tracing requirements associated with those numbers has pushed our current list of unavailable student-athletes to over 50. This is a very unfortunate situation, and we are disappointed that our program will not be able to finish the season against the Hawkeyes.
“I am very proud of the way that our players worked to try and get back onto the field, but the numbers simply don’t support us taking the field on Saturday. This has been a very challenging and difficult 2020 for everyone, and we want to make sure we are doing what is right for our student-athletes at every step along the way, and that ultimately is ensuring their health, safety and welfare.”
Michigan’s final three games of the 2020 season were all canceled. The Wolverines, who were slated to host Maryland on Dec. 5 and travel to Ohio State on Dec. 12, finish the 2020 season 2-4 in Big Ten play.
Iowa (6-2) is currently ranked 16th in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings. The Hawkeyes are currently projected to play the Missouri Tigers in the Outback Bowl, per Brett McMurphy of Stadium.
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