Governor Gretchen Whitmer says Michigan ‘not going to be filling stadiums in the fall’

We are still a ways out from knowing whether or not we will have a college football season or what that would even look like amid a global pandemic. That said, the Michigan Wolverines do not appear to be in line to have those famed capacity crowds of over 110,000 at the Big House for football this season.

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke in a radio interview on Tuesday and maintained that while there are signs of improvement in the coronavirus’ toll on society, we should not expect full stadiums of fans in the state if these scheduled events take place this fall.

“There is reason to feel some confidence here,” Whitmer said in an interview on the Mojo in the Morning Show. “But we also have to measure (peoples’) expectations and say life’s going to be different. We’re not going to be filling stadiums in the fall.”

Whitmer’s response should not come as much of a surprise, as the state of Michigan has had some of the more restrictive social distancing orders in place since the outbreak response began. Despite improving numbers and falling case numbers, concerns over a second wave of COVID-19 remain from health officials should the country reopen too soon.

Whitmer also explained why the state is slowly peeling back restrictions and reopening in phases as we try to buy ourselves time to figure out where things are headed next.

“Certainly as governor I want to give people the confidence that our plan will be met on days certain,” Whitmer said. “But the fact of the matter is, COVID-19 is a novel virus and that means it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before. We’re learning a tremendous amount. Every week that goes by, we’ve learned so much more about this disease and what it’s going to take to keep us safe and to avoid that second wave.”

As of now, nothing has changed with the college football schedule, but those talks are ongoing and several scenarios are being planned for. This could include conference-only schedules without major travel as everyone seeks to adjust on the fly. Everything seems to be on the table right now except for games with sold-out stadiums, if they are allowed to be there at all.

If the games are even played.

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