Remember how Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh took his team to Florida during spring break for a week of practice? The NCAA’s Power 5 conferences voted last week to ban that, along with any other off-campus practice during non-winter school vacations. But the ban doesn’t go into effect until this summer. So ...
Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan will practice in Rome before a new ban takes effect
The Wolverines’ off-campus practices are heading to Europe, and just in the nick of time.
Michigan’s trip to Italy is going to involve more than just spring practice. The Wolverines will use three of their permitted 15 spring practice sessions while they’re there, spending the rest of their time doing other things in Rome.
“We were looking to provide our student-athletes with a great educational, cultural and international football experience,” Harbaugh said in a university release. “I am excited that our student-athletes will be able to take advantage of this amazing educational opportunity, be exposed to another culture, and be ambassadors for the United States and the University of Michigan during our visit to Rome.”
College football teams haven’t quite made this European trip just yet, but college basketball teams have before. Kansas State played five exhibition games in Europe this past summer. College basketball teams are permitted to travel overseas for exhibition games once every four years. In 2013, Penn State and Florida State spent portions of their summers in Europe for practices and games.
This is a bit of a change in tune for Harbaugh from his team’s week in South Florida leading up to the Wolverines’ Orange Bowl game against Florida State, which the Wolverines lost, 33-32.
During the week before the New Years Six bowl game in December, FSU players got to ride jet skis. Michigan’s players didn’t spend time at any beaches, as Harbaugh implemented an all-work approach in the week leading up to the game.
Harbaugh going sightseeing in Rome will be quite the spectacle.
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