Report: Michigan seeking partial spring practice relocation to Florida
With the way Michigan lit up the Citrus Bowl, it’s no wonder the team wants to go back to the Sunshine State.
According to The Wolverine, Michigan is looking into the possibility of having a week of spring practice at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
There are no obvious NCAA rules that would prevent the Wolverines from receiving permission to do so. NCAA rules state that a team gets 15 postseason practices before school lets out for the summer. There are no restrictions on where the practices take place, rather when and how long they can take place for.
As long as Michigan doesn’t violate the time guidelines — which states that postseason practices can account for no more than four hours per day and 20 hours per week — the program wouldn’t appear to be in violation of any rules.
RELATED: Four-star U.S. Army All-American WR commits to Michigan
Michigan has to conduct its practices “within 34 consecutive calendar days.” Scheduling it for the end of February and into the beginning of March to match the school’s spring break (Feb. 27 — March 7) would make the most sense.
It would have to be approved by Michigan’s compliance staff, the B1G and the NCAA. But if Jim Harbaugh can swing it, the benefits would obviously be significant.
Not only would Harbaugh get his team away from the tail end of an Ann Arbor winter, he would also get a chance to make some more recruiting headway in the state of Florida. Michigan does already have five Florida commitments in its 2016 class. But none of them are from powerhouse IMG Academy, which boasts four of the nation’s top 42 prospects.
This would be another measure Harbaugh is taking to level the playing field for B1G schools that don’t get the benefit of SEC weather in February.