Harbaugh camp won't stop in American Samoa because of Zika fears

ByJesse Temple ESPN logo
Thursday, June 30, 2016

Michigan's summer satellite camp tour will be ending one stop sooner than expected over concerns about the Zika virus, a school athletics department official confirmed.



Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh was supposed to be among a group of staffers finishing up a monthlong tour with a trip to American Samoa on Thursday. Instead, the camp has been canceled.



John Raynar, communications director for the Republican Party of American Samoa, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that Harbaugh was advised by a family doctor to skip the trip because of potential health risks to pregnant women. Harbaugh's wife, Sarah, is pregnant.



A school official later confirmed Harbaugh would not be participating due to Zika virus fears. The trip would have marked the second time this month that Michigan staffers worked a camp in American Samoa. Six of Harbaugh's staffers participated in a June 1 camp there as part of a four-week whirlwind that was to include 38 camps in 21 states and two countries, with roughly 50,000 miles of travel. Harbaugh attended many of the camps himself and wrapped up the tour this week in Hawaii.



Several high-profile athletes have pulled out of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro because of Zika virus concerns, most recently golfer Jason Day, the No. 1-ranked player in the world.



ESPN.com's Dan Murphy contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.