Spring Game to be only situational practice

Submitted by NashvilleBLUE on
I was reading the web today and saw where people were saying this year's Spring Game is just a practice and not a scrimmage. Any truth to this? I'll still watch, but I'm certainly less excited if this is the case. Edit: Nick Baumgardner just listed this on Twitter
Nick Baumgardner @nickbaumgardner · 40m Michigan's spring game stuff will technically start at 5:45 p.m. at Michigan Stadium. BTN/IMG broadcast will run from about 7-9 p.m. This is a situational scrimmage. Michigan won't be splitting into two teams this year. No draft, full game, etc.
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UMgradMSUdad

April 10th, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^

The sports radio stations in Oklahoma have been talking about the Oklahoma Spring Football game for over a week.  Lincoln Riley is hoping for 80,000 fans, mainly because there are some recruits taking their official visits and Riley wants to show them how well loved the Sooner football team is by the fans.  They are having a concert with Trace Adkins before the game as well as an unveiling of a statue of Bob Stoops, photo ops with Baker Mayfield, food trucks, and other promotions to try to get a large crowd.

With student athletes now allowed to take their official visits earlier, I wonder how many programs will encourage visits during spring games and what steps coaches / programs will take to ensure the recruits see a large, enthusiastic crowd.

Joined: 07/02/2011

MGoPoints: 13185

BlueWolverine02

April 10th, 2018 at 12:40 PM ^

I've been to every spring game for the last 15+ years, except the closed one under RR when the stadium was closed. every year it's just a practice, every year except one they have included a scrimmage of some sorts. one year under Carr they did nothing but drills, which I thought was kinda a dick move to the fans who came out. so the only real question is how much time is spent in scrimmage and how much in drills.

Joined: 09/20/2014

MGoPoints: 18475

amir_6

April 10th, 2018 at 2:42 PM ^

I've always thought it would be exciting to see 1s vs. 1s & 2s vs. 2s. Now THAT would be something I would want to see. The Spring Games in the Harbaugh era have been very boring, I don't really enjoy seeing the players scattered all over the place.

Joined: 02/16/2014

MGoPoints: 5432

BornInA2

April 10th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^

Man, it's been a long 14 years of going 1-13 against our arch rivals and I'm struggling to get excited or hopeful. Harbaugh seems to have lost some of his fire as well. That the team isn't going to hold the draft and full scrimmage is disappointing. Sigh.

Joined: 02/15/2014

MGoPoints: 12802

Wolverine Devotee

April 10th, 2018 at 4:29 PM ^

Agree. 8-4 followed by that 2nd half turd in the bowl game to finish 8-5 and then a lackluster recruiting class and now with this. What exactly do we have to look forward to? Better win the season opener because that game might reflect what happens the rest of the way. Throw the fans a bone. Bring back fan day. And don't give me this nonsense about how there isn't enough time to do it or it's a distraction because places like Alabama do them every year and they do ok on the field. I have photos of Harbaugh on fan day when he was played!

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

UofMfromCMU

April 10th, 2018 at 3:19 PM ^

Disappointing for sure.. was never a fan of the Hoke era spring “games” and when Harbaugh came and brought a real game it clearly brought a ton of excitement and more fans to the stadium

Joined: 04/02/2018

MGoPoints: 229

AVPBCI

April 10th, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^

I got tickets for fridays tigers yankees game, and a private tour of the big house,  so were good besides the Game /scrimmage saturday

Joined: 11/08/2011

MGoPoints: 1521

M-Dog

April 10th, 2018 at 6:04 PM ^

I can't think of a single time in the fall, or even the summer, when I thought back to the spring game.

It's the biggest non-event ever.  It has a shelf-life of about one week.

What makes it even a thing at all is because of when it is held, when all the indoor sports are over and we are ready for spring.  

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 257517

Ty Butterfield

April 10th, 2018 at 10:31 PM ^

Just interested in the QBs. Seeing Speight in the Spring Game last year was a precursor to the shitshow that was the 2017 season.

Joined: 09/07/2009

MGoPoints: -81685

JWG Wolverine

April 11th, 2018 at 1:25 AM ^

Coach is getting quiet and getting to work. If he just explodes with enthusiasm in South Bend, we will get exactly what he wanted. Why are we complaining? We wanted him to tone it down for now and focus on FOOTBALL. So that is what he is doing! Let’s let the man quietly build his Death Star. He won’t be afraid to let us know when it is operational.

Joined: 01/07/2017

MGoPoints: 28434