Big Ten’s August 11 resolution to postpone the season indefinitely provoked a wave of negative reactions.

A start date during Thanksgiving week has been thrown out as a possibility, which would call for games staged during the coldest period and necessitate practices being held indoors, where science says the virus has a greater likelihood of spreading.

On the same day, the Big Ten announced its resolution to prevent fall sports, Michigan President Mark Schlissel backed the resolve that “there are too many ununderstood aptitude and protection issues lately” to move forward with the competition.

Also that day, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh held one and expressed his displeasure.

Even with a 10% pay cut this year, Harbaugh is scheduled to make more than $7 million, which would dwarf the $900,000 salary Schlissel received in 2019-20.

Yet when it comes to playing football, the power lies with the academic — not the coach.

Schlissel and his peers have more important issues to consider than whether a postponed season could disrupt the recruiting calendar. They have to take into account the welfare of the students and faculty, the potential liability associated with COVID-19 and the mission of their universities as educational institutions.