Jim Harbaugh: No expert view says football will make COVID outbreak worse

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh doesn't believe the return of football will affect the coronavirus pandemic landscape.

"If it comes to a point in time where you say that we can't play, it's obvious, it's clear, then everybody would be reasonable and know that was the right thing to do," Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday, including Orion Sang of Detroit Free Press.

"COVID is part of our society. (It) wasn't caused by football or caused by sports. There's no expert view right now that I'm aware of that sports is going to make that worse ... We're going to have to deal with it."

Harbaugh said he'd welcome "the responsibility of keeping our players safe and educating them." He also praised his student-athletes' behavior amid the pandemic.

"The biggest question I'm really getting from our players is how they can be a part of the solution," Harbaugh said. "A lot of the feedback has been at their peers, other people in their age group ... Their response has been (that) they want to be part of the solution. They want to be a force for good, an example when they're here, there are protocols that have been put into place. They've been terrific."

Universities were allowed to bring players back to campus starting in early June. The Wolverines announced last week that out of 194 student-athletes and 131 staff members tested for coronavirus on June 29, no one had the virus. Overall, two Michigan football players have tested positive.

Michigan president Mark Schlissel said in May he was unsure of the college football season kicking off in the fall. He also said that he "can't imagine a way" to have the traditional crowd of 100,000 at Michigan Stadium in 2020.