Michigan's athletic department began bracing for impact months before the most unprecedented season in college football history was set to begin. The financial fallout of playing a season during the COVID-19 pandemic was expected to be steep and the variables were seemingly endless.
Would fans be able to attend games? And at what capacity could Michigan Stadium be filled? The answer to each question, and several others, would have a corresponding impact on how much money the department bled. At worst, the Wolverines' share of Big Ten Network's media rights deal — a whopping $55 million in 2019 — could help keep the department stable.