Another college football offseason means another year of SEC coaches crying about what Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has planned. Upon hearing word that Harbaugh intends to bring Michigan’s spring football practices down to Florida for a week over Michigan’s spring break, the SEC is looking for a way to close the borders to the Wolverines.
According to Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com, the SEC has asked the NCAA to prohibit football programs from holding spring practices during spring break.
“Our primary reaction [is] that, in the face of the time-demand conversations, we’ve got one program taking what has been ‘free time’ away,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. “Let’s draw a line and say, ‘That’s not appropriate.'”
Lame.
The SEC, for whatever reason, is scared of Harbaugh and Michigan. The SEC is scared others will see what Harbaugh is doing at Michigan and follow suit. Imagine Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia all setting up spring practices in Florida or Georgia for a week. That is what the SEC is worried about. They are not worried about one specific team. They are worried this will become a trend that they simply cannot battle because, well, they are already there.
The idea for Harbaugh to bring spring practices to Florida for a week is a brilliant strategy. It keeps all players under Harbaugh’s supposed watch during spring break. It brings everyone on a free, school-paid spring break trip. It’s a heck of a nice recruiting tool for the Wolverines (hey, you’ll get a free week in Florida with fun activities to unwind after practice).
Harbaugh is a smart guy, even his haters and critics must admit. Maybe Harbaugh is pushing the envelope a bit, but until the NCAA says “No,” there is no reason why Harbaugh should be concerned about anything the SEC wants. The SEC should instead be focused on their own programs and let the Big Ten worry about Michigan.
