Dave Brandon: Possible Future Miami Neutral Site Game
Naplesnews.com is reporting that Dave Brandon announced at a U-M Alumni Club of Southwest Florida event in Naples, FL that Michigan is exploring the future scheduling of a neutral site game to be played at Miami's Sun Life Stadium.
Over 140 University of Michigan faithful gathered at the Audubon Country Club in North Naples on Monday night to hear the school’s athletic director, Dave Brandon, speak as part the annual “Maize and Blue in Paradise” event.
Brandon said he and the university are working hard to schedule more athletic events in the area, similar to the Michigan-Florida Gulf Coast University baseball game that was played in March. He said the school has also had initial talks with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a Michigan alum, about playing a neutral site game football at Sun Life Stadium in the future.
“We’ve had some preliminary discussions with Stephen Ross about whether or not it would be possible to come down here and play a game,” Brandon said. “We don’t have anything scheduled, but that’s something we’d consider because this is an important recruiting area for us as well.”
When asked about another topic of great interest here, Brandon had this to say:
Brandon said at this time, the school has no plans to put the banners from the 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances back up. “The banners were taken down because of the fact that we had to forfeit [Ed: these games were vacated, not forfeited] all the games. If you didn’t legitimately win games it’s pretty hard to fly the banners,” Brandon said. “… It was a memorable, fascinating and exciting time for Michigan basketball but it also led to huge disappointment and significant amount of shame as far as things that were happening during that time, and we paid the price for it, and we’re still paying the price for it.”
Cue the hand wringing and outrage.
Do you think Hoke has the stones to stroll in and make the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year a backup?
April 12th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
You see what I did there?
...and Michigan.
...with chips and a drink. You're welcome.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
I'd like to see us play Boston College, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, or Georgia Tech. I don't know why, I just do.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
Michigan - BC . Those others actually would be sweet too.
Fond, vivid memories of Des Howard returning a kickoff for a TD at BC in '91 to kickstart his Heisman run. Give me this game again to relive the glory....and to placate the UM alumni base in New England!
April 12th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
I don't see any of those teams(besides possibly Georgia) being a big enough name. If this game ends up happening, the opponent will likely be another program similar to Alabama. If the goal of playing in S. Florida is to assist in recruiting efforts down there, we have to schedule a big enough name for local people to really take notice.
If Skip Holtz can get USF playing consistently for an entire season and take them to the next level, USF might be an intriguing matchup...or maybe its just because I am an alumnus of USF. Not to mention I can attend the game; however, I do not believe the game is favorable for Michigan because of the Florida heat. It hits into the 90s into October and a southern team would have a decided advantage.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
Please stop with the neutral site games. I like the scheduling of the major opponents, but lets do home and homes.
I care about the fanbases that are not local, but not more so than I care about myself being a season ticket holder that wants to see quality opponents inside Michigan Stadium.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
I hate the idea of neutral site games. I'm rather pissed that we are giving up a home game to play Alabama in Texas in 2012. The home schedule that year already blows chunks. They still have an open date to fill, but does anyone think it's gonna be anything other than a MAC-level opponent? And what about the students? Isn't this a University that is supposed to focus on its students? I'm sure some...probably quite a few... will go to that game. But a lot will not have the bucks to do so and are getting screwed out of a game. Plus, the local economy gets screwed out of a weekend's worth of revenues.
I will likely go, or at least try to, because I want to support my team and could be a really fun trip. But I would MUCH rather have another home game, even against a lesser opponent.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
That must be why the AD raised ticket prices for the students this year...
April 12th, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
I am not a fan of neutral-site games. Our season-tickets pay quite a bit of money. They deserve the chance to see marquee non-conference opponents at Michigan Stadium.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
"Initial talks" doesn't mean crap. That was just a bit of red meat for the folks who paid to go see Brandon.
Don't get me wrong. I'd love to something like that happen but this will probably happen a few years after Wisky rotates back on our schedule.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
Maybe its Les Miles' LSU versus Big Blue.
Old boys reunion.
I think it would be a great matchup.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
I know there is a lockout and everything but I don't think the Giants have to resort to playing college teams.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
I thought Big Blue was Kentucky...?
April 12th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
Is that you?
April 12th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
Big Blue? Are you referring to Millikin University or Bluefield State College?
April 12th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
I was thinking Big M and Maize n Blue. The result was utter fail. though comical.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
an obvious (though undesirable) possibility here....
FAU or FIU.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
he's got all that cash laying around just begging to be spent on getting UM to play a game down there. He'll cover the lost home gate revenue, and then some.
Snark aside, I don't mind the Alabama game down in Dallas, but another neutral site game leaves me cold. Just play a goddamn home-and-home with Florida State or Georgia or Tennessee and be done with it.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
I would love to see Michigan vs. LSU in Miami.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
... his comment on the banners.
Putting up banners for games that you forfeited is pretty weak.
"MOST SALES OF AUTHENTIC LICENSED APPAREL, 1992-3"
Get some of these teams to come play at the Big House
2014: Oklahoma, Tennessee or LSU
If you must play a neutral-site game, why not really make the site neutral? Dallas is a lot more convenient for Bama fans than it is for M fans. Miami, to an SEC fan, is relatively nearby. Their fans can (and will) drive there. Most of ours will need to fly. So we'll be outmanned in the stands.
Why can't SEC teams play Michigan in Indy, Chicago, or New York?
We always go to the warm weather sites, especially during bowl season. But warm weather teams never go north. The stats would be a lot different if bowls were played up north.
Like clockwork, my dad complains about this same thing every bowl season, and every season I can do nothing but agree and hope for the day we get to see Saban shivering on the sidelines as his oversigned team freezes solid on Soldier Field or Lambeau or something. Realistically, I know that our team is not full of Russians (obviously we have plenty of warm weather players), and the cold weather will not save us from the Germans.