Michigan reports six new COVID-19 cases among athletes over past week

Six University of Michigan athletes and no staff members tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week, a sharp decline from the double-digit positive results that helped to shut down the football program in recent weeks.

The Wolverines administered 2,011 tests from Dec. 12 through Friday to athletes and staff members, the school announced Friday.

The athletic department does not release testing numbers for specific teams, so the testing numbers are cumulative.

On Friday, the U-M women’s basketball team postponed Saturday’s game at Illinois due to COVID issues within the program. Earlier this week, the football team canceled this Saturday’s game at Iowa, the third consecutive game cancellation because of a COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent contact tracing.

The U-M football team was expected to be without more than 50 athletes against the Hawkeyes because of lingering effects from the outbreak that also led to canceled games against Maryland and Ohio State.

“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 studentathletes to over 50,” U-M said Tuesday in a news release announcing the football cancellation. “This is a very unfortunate situation and we are disappointed that our program will not be able to finish the season against the Hawkeyes.”

Last week, the athletic department announced that nine student-athletes and four staff members tested positive for COVID between Dec. 5-11. The week before that, 14 student-athletes and one staffer tested positive.

In total, Michigan has conducted 33,654 tests, with 220 positive tests (194 student-athletes, 26 staff members).

The stoppage for U-M women’s basktball comes as the Wolverines are 5-0; they last played Dec. 9 in a 93-54 win over Butler.

The day after that game, the Bulldogs announced that they would “pause team activities in accordance with COVID-19 protocols” and postponed their next three games. And on Tuesday, Butler announced that it would postpone a Dec. 22 contest against Evansville “in accordance with COVID-19 protocols.”

It was not clear whether Michigan’s COVID-19 issues were related to the game against Butler.

The Wolverines are next scheduled to play Penn State on Wednesday.

U-M football adds UNLV to ’23 sked

Michigan football will host UNLV on Sept. 9, 2023, in a game that completes the Wolverines’ nonconference schedule that season

According to a release from UNLV, Michigan will pay the Rebels $1.5 million for one game.

Michigan’s other nonconference games in 2023: at home against East Carolina (Sept. 2) and Bowling Green (Sept. 16).