Wisconsin Ready to Play Michigan Following COVID-19 Outbreak


The Badgers were forced to cancel two games in the wake of the outbreak.

No. 13 Wisconsin is preparing to face Michigan this weekend as the program recovers from its recent COVID-19 outbreak.

The Badgers announced they have only five active COVID-19 cases–two athletes and three staff members–after registering 27 cases last week.

"We feel confident that we have a handle on the situation and are excited to play this week at Michigan," athletic director Barry Alvarez said in a statement.

Wisconsin began its regular game-week preparations on Monday ahead of its trip to Ann Arbor on Saturday. The program has registered zero positive COVID-19 cases in five of the last six days.

The team was forced to cancel two straight games against Nebraska and Purdue due to the outbreak. All football activities remained paused after the Badgers announced last week's cancelation against the Boilermakers.

Both canceled games were ruled "no contests" due to Big Ten scheduling restraints. 

With the cancelations, Wisconsin is scheduled to play six games during the 2020 season, which is the minimum needed to contend for the Big Ten championship. If it is forced to cancel another contest, the program will not be eligible for the Big Ten title game. 

The Badgers are scheduled to play Michigan on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The team has played just one game this season, which was a 45-7 victory over Illinois