Spring Game Will Be April 1 and at Night
[photo by Bryan Fuller]
C'est Poisson d'avril pour le mêlée printemps:
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan football team will host its annual Spring Football Game presented by PNC Bank on the evening of Friday, April 1, from Michigan Stadium. The exact start time will be announced at a later date.
The spring game is free and open to the public.
The gates to the Big House will open one hour prior to the start of the game. Additional information will be forthcoming regarding parking, stadium entry locations, concessions and other activities for April 1.
The Wolverines will practice a total of 15 times during the spring, culminating with the first-ever spring game scrimmage in the evening. The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
The football team will conduct its first spring practice on Feb. 29 in Bradenton, Florida.
If dusk of it-was-still-March-yesterday sounds pretty chilly that's because it usually is, via Weather Underground:
It appears the idea is to get on TV in primetime. The Final Four games are Saturday so that's not a conflict. But Michigan's never come close to filling the stadium for this even on 70 degree days, and even last year's "it's actually a competition!" game was pretty boring once they'd emptied out Lloyd Carr's trick playbook.
February 19th, 2016 at 11:58 AM ^
I'm into this. Everybody will be watching this Spring game.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:00 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 12:01 PM ^
The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 12:02 PM ^
Cold or not, I'll be there.
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February 19th, 2016 at 12:55 PM ^
You are having your own spring game?
February 19th, 2016 at 12:04 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 12:25 PM ^
but I hope they don't use that as a strong reason behind it. It comes off sounding as disingenuous as Sankey and his arguing on "behalf of the student athlete".
February 20th, 2016 at 1:07 AM ^
It's more of a two birds one stone type thing.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:04 PM ^
Two letters: T and V
February 19th, 2016 at 12:09 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 12:14 PM ^
Don't a handful of recruits usually come to the spring game? This could help in that regards some. Game is Friday night so if the recruit comes for the game and spends the night, they have all day Saturday to check out the campus and meet with the coaches.
February 19th, 2016 at 1:17 PM ^
. . . mostly.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 12:21 PM ^
Dear WD,
Please take a look at Seth's graph and take note that the temperature for an evening game would be nearly the same for a game at around Noon/1:00 pm.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:29 PM ^
Except at noon you're expecting it to get warmer, at 6pm you're not...
February 19th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
I don't like this. The Spring Game is a great thing to take your family to on a nice day. Unfortunately, because it is so early to accomodate the players studying (which I endorse), I can't remember the last time the weather was nice for the Spring Game. Having it at night isn't going to help this any.
In the trade of fan experience in the stadium vs. more people watching on TV, I would have preferred to side with the fans in the stadium. I hope that enough people show up that it isn't embarassing to have on TV.
Fortunately, Jim Harbaugh has built up enough good will the attendance will probably be pretty good.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:25 PM ^
The only crappy thing about this is parking. The university lots are enforced until 5 pm on Friday.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:26 PM ^
April Fools!
February 19th, 2016 at 12:27 PM ^
to study? NCAA is looking into this now
February 19th, 2016 at 12:33 PM ^
I really hope this is an April fools.
February 19th, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^
Just to be clear, you didn't go to the game last year when it was on a Saturday, but you are mad that you will not be going this year because it is not on a Saturday?
February 19th, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^
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February 19th, 2016 at 11:46 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 12:36 PM ^
I don't think this is a good idea. But, I give Harbaugh credit for once again pushing the envelope.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:38 PM ^
it'll be nice to sit down while eating dinner and watching the 2016 Wolverines coming together as a squad.
I'll be excited to watch the QB's play.
February 19th, 2016 at 12:43 PM ^
maybe holding it at night will increase attendance. Most people working would not be able to go, but now they can head out there that night.
February 19th, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^
It's still harder to get there after work and coming back late will suck. If it was on ESPN I'd be behind it. I just don't see how being on BTN with an almost completely empty stadium is a good tacticle move when you could also be on tv with a half full stadium the next day.
February 19th, 2016 at 1:20 PM ^
As I mentioned in the thread on this, there's a lacrosse doubleheader scheduled at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, April 2, so that's likely the reason for the shift to Friday night.
February 19th, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^
They should have moved the lacrosse games to Sunday.
BTW, why is it taking this long to build them their own stadium? It's year four of the program.
February 19th, 2016 at 9:05 PM ^
They shouldnt have to move games for in-season teams that have been on the schedule for months in a season that is underway because an out of season team wants to practice and just decided on when.
February 19th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 11:43 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 12:54 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 1:00 PM ^
I love it when you speak French to me.
February 19th, 2016 at 2:10 PM ^
J'ai mis de la merde dans ta main.
February 19th, 2016 at 2:44 PM ^
Vas te faire enculer, putain.
February 19th, 2016 at 11:40 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 2:25 PM ^
The attendance will be terrible and the big ten network wouldn't have broadcasted one of its largest school's games if it was on saturday?
February 19th, 2016 at 1:02 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^
Maybe it's a joke
February 19th, 2016 at 1:09 PM ^
less alumni.
February 19th, 2016 at 1:35 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 1:16 PM ^
I'm not keen on the corporate sponsorship for the game. Makes it sound like Brandon is still in charge. Are there going to be ads for PNC bank inside the stadium? A banker mascot? Could be Arby's curly fries all over again.
February 19th, 2016 at 1:25 PM ^
While I don't love the corporate sponsorships (especially the clunky Ira. J. Nikkie Harris etc. HC thing), I see this as a necessary evil, if we want to have the $$ to pay for nice things like stadium renovations, improved weight rooms and practice facilities, Harbaugh, top assistant coaches, etc. I would certainly prefer the sponsorships - especially for a spring game - over raising student ticket prices or some of the other Brandon crap (think, Noodle!).
February 20th, 2016 at 8:05 AM ^
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