Michigan pauses voluntary workouts for four sports — not football — due to COVID

Michigan has paused voluntary summer workouts for four sports — field hockey, volleyball, swimming and diving, and ice hockey — for COVID-19-related reasons, the athletic department announced Tuesday night. 

The football team, which began preseason practice last Friday after voluntary workouts began last month, is not affected by this decision.

“Football is proceeding as scheduled,” UM football spokesman David Ablauf said in a text message. 

Ice hockey resumes workouts this week, and the other programs are scheduled to resume workouts starting the week of Aug. 3, per the release. 

“Workouts in these sports have been paused due to a combination of COVID-19 test results and contact tracing protocols,” the statement reads. “Our medical experts are providing the necessary care and communication to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and those who have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive.” 

Michigan currently has athletes from 18 teams on campus. 

Athletes from volleyball, field hockey and ice hockey started began reporting July 6 and from swimming on July 7.

Last Friday, the athletic department reported four positive results — three student-athletes and one staff member — out of 94 tests in its latest round of COVID-19 testing conducted July 20-21. Since testing began in mid-June, Michigan has administered 559 student-athlete tests with 12 positive results and 170 staff member tests with one positive result.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @chengelis