Jim Harbaugh has been making headlines regularly as head coach of the Michigan program. Whether it's an off-the-wall quote, or working a summer camp in SEC territory, or having a sleepover with a recruit, or climbing a tree during a recruiting visit, Harbaugh has blazed a new trail the past year for college football.
A few months back, Harbaugh mentioned the idea of holding Michigan's spring ball practices down in Florida. Many people brushed it off as highly unlikely (for a number of reasons - NCAA rules, logistics of having a bunch of college kids in Florida, etc.), but during the hoopla of National Signing day today in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh mentioned that the idea is coming to fruition.
The first four practices of spring ball for the Wolverines will take place in Florida, and players will enjoy some other activities as well.
For those of you wondering about finals...those won't be an issue.
A number of coaches will have an issue with the trip (I think you know who I'm thinking of), but credit Harbaugh for his creativity. This is brilliant on so many different levels; it gives his players some extra "juice" for spring practices, it's a sort of mini-vacation (trust me, I live in Michigan), and this is just the latest reason for recruits to come play in Ann Arbor. No other program has done anything like it, and now programs will work like hell to imitate it. For those unfamiliar with IMG Academy, it is a first class facility unlike any other high school campus in the country. Here's a quick tour of their 500-acre facility where some of the top athletes in the country train, and it's also home to one of only three Gatorade Sports Science facilities in the world! Once again, Harbaugh and his staff were on the cutting edge. It is clearly Jim Harbaugh's world, and we're all just living in it.