Quoting from the article:

The Michigan Wolverines football team won't partake in the 2020 season unless students are back on campus, according to school president Mark Schlissel.

Schlissel told the Wall Street Journal that any decision the school makes for this coming fall will last the entire academic year.

“If there is no on-campus instruction then there won’t be intercollegiate athletics, at least for Michigan,” said Dr. Schlissel, who is an immunologist by training.

He added that there is currently “some degree of doubt as to whether there will be college athletics [anywhere], at least in the fall.”

Personally, I think they're just trying to avoid another inevitable loss in the Shoe.

https://www.si.com/college/2020/05/24/michigan-president-no-classes-no-f...