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 1:25 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
If it starts too early, people will complain about not being able to make it because of work. If it is too late, people will complain that it is too late to take the kids to, I expect a 7:00 start time, but I am just guessing.
February 19th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^
EDIT: Seems certain now it'll be 6pm.
Harbaugh telling anyone who will listen here at the M Den that the spring game will be a 6 pm kick.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) February 19, 2016
February 19th, 2016 at 1:41 PM ^
Pros:
Friday evening could mean more student attendance than on a Saturday early afternoon.
Probably the only spring game going on at that time, will be on BTN, UM will be center of attention for that evening.
Not on the same day as the Final Four, thus allowing for more attention.
Could be good recruiting weekend: Have the recruits watch a night game in the Big House. Have them stay the night after seeing UM football in action, have all day Saturday to tour and meet with coaches instead of everything being on the same day and having less time with the coaches.
Cons:
Harder for families with small kids to check the game out potentially.
Harder for people to get out of work and come see the game.
Might be slightly cooler than if the game was in the afternoon. But its Michigan weather, who knows.
Like Rauol has mentioned numerous times in the two threads, Lacrosse has a double-header the following day, so they can't move it to Saturday at this point if they are starting Spring Practice when they plan to.
February 19th, 2016 at 2:28 PM ^
Can they move one of the lacrosse games to friday or later saturday?
February 19th, 2016 at 3:12 PM ^
The Spring Game would be an all day use of the stadium when it comes down to having recruits there, preperations, fans being around and leaving the stadium, and clean up. They can't really have that going on and throw a lacrosse game in there.
And as much as football is king, I cant see them moving the date of a game for two in-season sports for the Spring Game. Not to mention that OSU and Maryland (the opponents that day) probably already have travel plans that they cant or wouldnt want to change.
February 19th, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^
Students never come to it anyway and they're probably out drinking anayway friday evening
February 19th, 2016 at 4:45 PM ^
February 19th, 2016 at 6:29 PM ^
Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday dear Kevin. Happy Birthday to me. Hot Damn this better not be another bad April Fools joke on me. Make my damn day I am loving it. What a great way to end my Bday with a night Spring game. I can't stop smiling this is pure awesome, we'll get a room with a jacuzzi and partay all night long. Oh man wait till the wife hears about this....... The first thing out of her mouth will be April Fools. Then she will say hey hun lets get a room and have a blast. This is sooo damn cool Last spring game was fun this one is gonna be a blast I can't wait. I AM IN....and as always GO BLUE!
February 19th, 2016 at 6:40 PM ^
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February 19th, 2016 at 8:10 PM ^
In early April? Sorry. Bad idea. This will hurt attendance w/o a doubt. Maybe Michigan doesn't care.
February 20th, 2016 at 6:31 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 9:29 AM ^
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February 22nd, 2016 at 9:38 AM ^
I love this shot. It makes the Big House look like the Roman Colosseum.
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