EAST LANSING, Mich. – Hours before tip off, the highly anticipated Michigan State vs. Michigan men’s basketball game scheduled for Saturday (Jan. 8) has been postponed. The news is according to an announcement from both universities.
The game was set to begin 2:30 p.m. but has been postponed because of COVID-19 protocols inside the Michigan Wolverine’s program, according to a statement. So far, the rest of the teams’ seasons remain uneffected.
COVID-19 cases have been surging across America largely due to the omicron variant, and Michigan is no exception. Michigan reported 40,692 new COVID-19 cases and 259 related deaths Friday (Jan. 8). That’s a record number, at an average of 20,346 cases for the past two days. The deaths announced Friday include 136 that are part of a vital records review.
That Michigan daily average of 20,346 cases is higher than Wednesday’s average of 13,673 cases per day. It’s the highest daily cases count in the state since the beginning of the pandemic.
Michigan’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases is 1,636,611. The state’s total confirmed death count is 27,822 deaths. These numbers are up from 1,595,919 cases and 27,563 deaths, as of Wednesday.
As for the state of the vaccine, Michigan has reported more than 10.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine given as of Jan. 3. That means 68.6% of residents over the age of 16 have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, and 62.9% of residents over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated. A total of 63.7% of all Michiganders have received at last one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a statement released by Michigan State Athletics, officials stated both the Spartans and Wolverines will work with the Big Ten Conference to reschedule Saturday’s game.
Michigan State is scheduled to go up against Minnesota at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Wednesday (Jan. 12), with tip off at 7 p.m. The game will air on the Big Ten Network.
