Michigan Spring Practices---always looking for an angle

#2Gopher

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Michigan football will officially spend part of its spring practice schedule in Rome.

Yes, the Rome in Italy.

The program announced Monday that it will hold three of its 15 spring practices at the facility of AS Roma, a professional soccer club located in Italy’s capital city. The trip will take place in April “after finals toward the end of winter semester,” Michigan, which called the trip a “a special educational and football experience,” said in a release.

Michigan’s announcement comes just three days after the NCAA’s Power Five conference commissioners voted 58-22 Friday to prohibit off-campus practices during a vacation period outside of a team’s championship season. That rule does not go into effect until August, so Michigan’s trip to Italy is within the rules.

What will be next?
 

Michigan’s announcement comes just three days after the NCAA’s Power Five conference commissioners voted 58-22 Friday to prohibit off-campus practices during a vacation period outside of a team’s championship season. That rule does not go into effect until August, so Michigan’s trip to Italy is within the rules.

Interesting part here is that the administrators were clear that overseas trips for basketball, volleyball, soccer will still be allowed under the new rules.

Harbaugh is going to Rome as a big eff you to the NCAA/P5 who will either have to rescind the privilege of overseas travel for those other sports, or allow football teams to do the same - or come off as completely and entirely hypocritical by allowing some sports to do overseas trips during preseason and others not to.

It's the NCAA so the smart money is on the most hypocritical move, but I for one see it as Harbs sticking it to them and I like it.
 


Interesting part here is that the administrators were clear that overseas trips for basketball, volleyball, soccer will still be allowed under the new rules.

Harbaugh is going to Rome as a big eff you to the NCAA/P5 who will either have to rescind the privilege of overseas travel for those other sports, or allow football teams to do the same - or come off as completely and entirely hypocritical by allowing some sports to do overseas trips during preseason and others not to.

It's the NCAA so the smart money is on the most hypocritical move, but I for one see it as Harbs sticking it to them and I like it.

If I was the NCAA I'd shrug and let Jimmy take his toys and go wherever he wants. A control freak like him dealing with all the distractions of taking about a 100 guys to Rome? Got a feeling he ain't going to get as much done as he thinks as far as football. Good photo ops with kids in the orphanage though, and I guess there's always a chance the Pope will show up to talk a little football. Have to believe Urban is laughing and not worried about losing recruits to him over this.
 

What authority does a simple majority of P5 conference have to make such rules?

What's next is the Wolverines will be having spring ball over spring break at Michigan owned facilities in Florida. Other Big Ten teams will eventually follow their lead.
 





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