While there’s a chance that college and professional football return this fall, the governor of Michigan does not anticipate stadiums being full this year.

“There is reason to feel some confidence here,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in an interview on the Mojo in the Morning Show on WQKI-FM. “But we also have to measure (peoples’) expectations and say life’s going to be different. We’re not going to be filling stadiums in the fall.”

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The three biggest football draws in the state are Michigan, Michigan State on the college level and the Detroit Lions in the NFL. While all three teams could return to the field sometime this fall, the stadium capacity will likely not be reached.

At this point, though, playing in limited-sized stadiums or not allowing fans to attend games seems like a viable compromise, especially when the alternative is no football at all.

Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke with NBC Sports’ Peter King and echoed similar statements. Fauci said that if the infection rate continues to decline into the fall, stadiums could reach 1/3 – 1/2 capacity, so that fans could sit six feet apart in the stands.

Games without fans would certainly be a change to the sport, but it’s certainly better than no football at all.