http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines...
Harbaugh apparently wants to hold spring practice at IMG academy. With the money they have this could become a real selling point for Michigan how long until anOSU and others do the same?
U-M is attempting to hold a portion of its spring football practice in Florida at the IMG Academy, according to a person with knowledge of the plans but is not authorized to speak publicly.
The news was first reported by TheWolverine.com.
While a Michigan official was unable to comment at this time, the plan makes sense.
IMG Academy is located in Bradenton, Fla. and has dorm-style rooms and small apartments available plus multiple football fiel
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Yeah because unlike their rivals OSU, they're not there to play school /s
I wonder if they'll also hold classes there.
In fact, why not just build some facilities there, and let their student-athletes telecommute?
At a certain point, universities are going to have to spin-off their football franchises.
It's a little out of control.
I will give Harbaugh credit for working within the rules, but at some point the SEC and ACC (if not others) are going to have to put their foot down and get the rules changed. Michigan (as the article states) has a huge budget that will allow for such travel, which serves really as de facto exhibitions to talented prospects. If the other conferences change their rules to allow such satellite camps and practices, it will come at a huge cost, one that is intractable for most other programs. So without putting a stop to this activity, the disparity between haves and have-nots (or "have-lesses") becomes even larger.
I can't imagine the big Florida schools being OK with this, to say nothing of the other major programs nearby.
I would have copied and pasted a quote but it won't copy, not sure if article is somehow protected.
Seems to work.
I'll add to it then when I'm off my iPhone.
Not going to lie, it would be funny if they take their team down there and the following year after football season starts and the cold creeps into the home games players think about transferring. I think it would be funny to se UF or FSU outside their "spring camp" with flyers to come to their school where it is warm 24x7.
I'm assuming this would be during spring break? Otherwise...classes?
Who needs em?!
They ain't come to play school, right?
Good point. UNC could do this at any time during the "semester"
I will admit I didn't read the article, but spring practice is normally longer than the 1 week off in the spring. I have no problems with the team traveling during spring break and practicing in Florida. Does the team have to follow the 20 hours per week limit during spring break?
I have a huge problem with them traveling to Florida if classes are in session. Then they are definitely going to break the 20 hour per week training limit.
They would likely just hold one week (or less) of practices there.
I wish we could have practices at IMG academy, that school is absolutely loaded with talent, would have loved to land a guy like Rashaun Smith (Clemson) or in a pipe dream (because we always whiff on these) land Kaindoh next year.
I have some big issues with stuff like this and so should the NCAA. It tilts the balances even more so to schools with deep pockets. It is purely a recruiting tool and a selling point that some schools could afford to do and others can't which gives them an unfair advantage. How do they manage the coaches talking and visiting with recruits while they are there and do they count as in-home visits? Very big can of worms this is going to open up.
The NCAA should make the travel to and from this "spring camp" count into practice time. The students are being forced to give up extra personal or study time to travel across the country to perform a part of their scholarship obligation that could easily be done on campus. Make the coaches give up 15 hours of spring practice if they want to do it on the road and see how great of an idea this becomes.
Khakis must not hold up to that Michigan winter weather very well.