If sports return in 2020, what will they look like in Michigan?

Football coaches are creatures of habit. Ed Warinner is no different. Michigan football's offensive line coach has a prescribed routine, timetable and reference points that help him prepare for a season. But earlier this month, Warinner admitted he doesn’t have a clear idea of when the Wolverines will reconvene on campus.

The coronavirus pandemic has rocked the sports world, disrupting professional leagues and athletics at all amateur levels since mid-March. The outbreak brought an end to practices and games while prompting questions about when it will be safe to play again.

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Months later, no definitive resolutions have been reached, although there are signs that suggest that the remainder of 2020 won’t be devoid of major sports — football, basketball, baseball and hockey.

“There is a lot of talk,” Warinner said.

The governors in Texas, California and New York recently expressed a willingness for pro teams to resume operations without fans. After holding its annual draft remotely in April, the NFL authorized the reopening of facilities May 19. Major League Baseball hopes to start its season during the first week of July but needs the approval of the players’ union. The Big Ten, which suspended team activities until June 1, could have a plan in place June 7 when the conference’s presidents and chancellors hold their annual meeting.

On Tuesday, the NHL announced a plan to return with a 24-team playoff held in two to-be-determined hub cities. But that won't happen until after those teams can hold some version of a training camp, which won't begin until the league determines it safe to do so. 

Here in Michigan, uncertainty clouds the picture of what sports could look like if they’re greenlit to return.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she didn’t anticipate capacity crowds at events will be allowed this fall, which would create a new environment at some of the state’s top venues, including the 107,000-seat Michigan Stadium and the 75,000-seat Spartan Stadium.

Asked by the Free Press about the possibility of playing in front of spectators at Comerica Park, the Tigers deferred to Major League Baseball.

“There are not a lot of answers right now,” a team spokesman said.

The athletic departments at Michigan and Michigan State have, in turn, taken a wait-and-see approach as the resumption of sports could hinge on the return of in-person classes.

“There are still too many unknowns,” a Spartans media relations representative said.

The Lions, meanwhile, are anticipating they will have a full slate of games in 2020 and fans in the seats but in a statement said they are in the process of formulating contingencies and “evaluating all facets of the game-day experience” to ensure a safe environment.

Just as the Lions are optimistic about playing a full season, the Michigan High School Athletic Association is anticipating that its normal fall sports calendar will remain intact with the typical August start date.

The MHSAA is operating under the premise that schools will reopen and there will be some face-to-face learning.

“We have been in regular contact with the Governor’s office and the Department of Education since things began moving quickly in mid-March,” an MHSAA spokesman said. “We will surely be consulting with both as we continue to move forward.”

Whether spectators will be able to attend events is unclear, however. A decision will be made over the next three months and will be based on recommendations from the state and county health departments, National Federation of State High School Associations and the MHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. Testing protocols of student-athletes, coaches and team personnel have yet to be determined, the organization said.

“The priority has been health and safety — of participants, those who manage and officiate these games at local and state levels, and of fans,” the MHSAA spokesman asserted.

To this point, the sports world has been in a state of abeyance to achieve that goal. How will it look if and when activities resume is unclear. For now, coaches such as Warinner just hope to return to the field and work up-close with players again.

“That part is missing,” he said.

Contact Rainer Sabin: rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Big Ten newsletter.