Hackett on upcoming schedule changes, weight room upgrade, Noon vs Night games
Great interview on WTKA by Hackett.
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On future schedules that were set before Hackett got here-
"There were some decisions made a few years ago that for whatever reason made sense then. I don’t know that they quite make sense today"
LOL
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Future B1G schedules will feature a much earlier B1G opener like the 70s and 80s had.
"For example in the future because of the nine-game Big Ten season, we’re going to have to have an early Big Ten game as the season opens. All the Big Ten teams have agreed to start reconfiguring schedules to allow for that. And then there are some cool surprises maybe that will come. We’re working hard on some things can’t announce yet that I’m excited about.”
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BTN will sell our TV rights to other networks beginning in 2017. We will see Michigan games on FOX for the first time. Probably FS1 sometimes, as well.
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Communication remains open with ND. Harbaugh and Kelly are the ones who initiated the return.
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Fundraising is being done for a new weight room at Schembechler Hall. The building was gutted and the exterior was torn down in 2014 and completely remodeled.......at least the front porch was. Hackett on this-
"I want to say this so it doesn't upset people when we're raising money: the reason we need to do this is we put the important statue out front which is matters to me as much as anything, the museum which matters to our history. We never touched inside the building. We never touched any of the parts the players interact with. Weight room, training room, locker room."
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Harbaugh went back to work at 2:30. An hour after the Signing of the Stars ended.
- On the Noon vs Night battle-
“What happens in ’17, we have to start accommodating more night games and that’s a challenge at Michigan for a bunch of reasons. I’ve been trying to think of a way to get (night games) on a regular cadence. On the other hand, as Bo said toe to leather, playing that game at noon has a lot of attraction for the traditionalists, so I don’t know yet. I don’t know if we’re going to have a night game this coming year. Working on it but not settled.”
February 5th, 2016 at 11:30 AM ^
New, improved 2016 versions of equipment?
February 5th, 2016 at 12:02 PM ^
Okay, I'll bite.
Barwis?
February 6th, 2016 at 10:54 PM ^
Rich Rod got a million dollars for a Barwis-initiated weight room makeover when he came on.
What happned to all that stuff?
February 5th, 2016 at 12:10 PM ^
No waterfall.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:32 AM ^
I think you're thinking of the performance center. That was approved awhile ago and is being built right now. That's on the other end of campus where the soccer stadium is.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
February 5th, 2016 at 11:49 AM ^
One thing I hope happens in the transition from Brandon to Hackett to Manuel is getting an architect that doesn't make everything look like an office park and interiors with garish highlighter maize and bizarre wordmarks everywhere. This stuff is going to look dated in about five years, the way that old Schembechler Hall didn't look cool after about 1994.
Go timeless and tasteful.
February 5th, 2016 at 12:56 PM ^
I thought the original Schembechler Hall was a pig-ugly monstrosity the day it opened. Its architect Gunnar Birkerts designed some very notable buildings in his career, but that weird thing on State St. was an embarrassment.
February 5th, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
I was embarrassed for Bo when when that opened.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:36 AM ^
We really need to upgrade the weight room. I know when RR got here, Martin spend some money on getting new equipment for Barwis, but I don't think they ever really renovated it.
Comparing ours to Alabama...
February 5th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
You don't even have to compare it to anyone to tell it's old. Just look at the logos.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:42 AM ^
Is that current? They still have the split block M's?
February 5th, 2016 at 11:51 AM ^
The last renovation was in 2008 (when Barwis got here).
Here are some photos from the "refurbished weight room"...
http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2008/04/pictures-of-refurbished-weight-room.html
One million dollars spent on equipment to refurbish the Michigan Football weight room. You can see all the new equipment and we were told that 95% of it is new.
February 5th, 2016 at 12:11 PM ^
The current set-up has the approved block M.
Where exactly are they planning on putting a new weight room? There isn't much space to add on to Schembechler Hall, Glick, or Oosterbaan.
February 5th, 2016 at 12:19 PM ^
There's a field behind the softball stadium. Perhaps they expand out diagonally
February 5th, 2016 at 12:29 PM ^
The photos are from the last time they actually renovated the place with new equipment and such.
What about the space between the softball stadium and Schembechler Hall? They could even tear down Oosterbaan (we probably won't need it after Lacrosse gets their new facility) and build a weight room and sports museum that connects to Schembechler and Glick.
February 5th, 2016 at 12:33 PM ^
That photo is not accurate. Why? Because I can't find myself blacked out on the golf course missing the game.
Fraud.
February 5th, 2016 at 10:58 PM ^
A lot of teams still use Oosterbaan. Softball uses it, many club teams use it, and intramurals a little bit.
The outdoor space between softball and Schembechler is used by baseball and softball and summer kids camps.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:57 AM ^
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February 5th, 2016 at 2:20 PM ^
were some renovations done when RR arrived, but it is still lacking and your pictures show a huge discrepency. Before RR arrived it looked like a 1970"s health club with all the nautilis equipment and it seemed like it was in a basement. They were able to open it up some and bring in top equipment, but still need more room.
February 5th, 2016 at 2:40 PM ^
The equipment looks nice but the facility itself is seriously lacking. Sure a weightroom doesn't need to look nice to get the job done but if part of the job is luring recruits than it is pretty important. I understand if they don't go all out and try and compete with what Oregon did but something at the level of what Bama did should be manageable.
February 6th, 2016 at 11:00 PM ^
Harbaugh hates all the puffery around weight rooms. What little there was, he took down.
"This is supposed to be work."
February 5th, 2016 at 11:27 AM ^
who have no interest in seeing the ND series renewed on an annual basis... for a multitude of reasons
February 5th, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^
I don't think we need to worry too much about it being annual game in the near future. UM's future non-conference schedules so far are as follows (keep in mind they go to 9 conference games next year):
'16 - Hawaii, UCF, Colorado
'17 - Florida, Cincy, Air Force
'18 - Arnkansas, SMU, OPEN
'19 - @Arkansas, Army, OPEN
'20 - @Washington, Ball St, VaTech
'21 - @VaTech, Washington, OPEN
'22 - UCLA, OPEN, OPEN
'23 - @UCLA, OPEN, OPEN
'24 - Texas, OPEN, OPEN
'25 - @Oklahoma, OPEN, OPEN
'26 - Oklahoma, OPEN, OPEN
'27 - @Texas, OPEN, OPEN
Without looking at ND's schedule, I guess you could play them in '18 and/or '19 but other than that the schedules are pretty full until 2022 (there's an open date in '21 but adding ND to Washington and Vatech would be a brutal non-conference slate).
February 5th, 2016 at 2:02 PM ^
I don't understand Hackett's comments about the schedules making sense years ago, but not in the present day. Perhaps that statement goes to the fact U-M played at MSU two years in a row.
In his own way, he does acknowledge the Big Ten's thinking on Michigan's schedule rotation within the Eastern Division. The B1G clearly wanted to have U-M, MSU and PSU (along with Indiana) playing either at Rutgers or at Maryland every year. Once you acknowledge that, then you rank the remaining four Eastern Division teams Michigan plays and combine #1 and #3 in one schedule rotation and #2 and #4 in the second rotation.
Ever since the Leaders and Legends Divisions were created, the Big Ten has indicated that PSU > MSU. It appears that hasn't changed, so that now we have 1) Ohio State, 2) Penn State, 3) Michigan State and 4) Indiana. I have to imagine that's how OSU and MSU ended up on the same schedule rotation.
So for the next four years (2016-9), the teams on the schedule rotations will be Ohio State-Michigan State-Rutgers and Wisconsin-Penn State-Indiana-Maryland on the other. The B1G opted to match up the teams in the East and the West based on their relative strengths--that's why UM has the Badgers through this next four seasons.
Things may change, but the conference's published schedules are out through 2019. That means having an opener against a Big Ten team may not come any earlier than 2020. That said, U-M's currently schedule opening game for that season is at Washington (followed by home games with Ball State and Virginia Tech). The opening day slot for the 2021 season is open, with the two non-conference games the following two Saturdays being at Virginia Tech and Washington.
I do think he and Harbaugh may rethink having both Washington and Virginia Tech on the 2020/1 schedules. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those teams falls off (or perhaps both if an agreement can be made with Notre Dame).
I wouldn't touch the home-and-home contests with UCLA, Texas or Oklahoma. It looks like the 2023 opener is schedule at UCLA and the two games with the Longhorns are also going to open the 2024 and 2027 seasons--that is, if Hackett/Manual/Harbaugh opt to keep it that way.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:00 PM ^
I'd guess Hackett is specifically referring to the neutral site games.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
"Communication remains open with ND. Harbaugh and Kelly are the ones who initiated the return."
I would have loved to hear that convo.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:28 AM ^
February 5th, 2016 at 11:33 AM ^
So in a few years, all of our games will be at noon? Old-timers & WD will love it.
February 5th, 2016 at 12:29 PM ^
just sayin'
There is no other fanbase that actually has the "down in front" debate....just ours.
February 5th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
ive been to games all over the country and this is actually fairly accurate (at least in my exprerience)
February 5th, 2016 at 5:10 PM ^
It just doesn't happen elsewhere...if you go see a game in a stadium you are expected to cheer and be loud and present.
Lol - I hope whoever negged me had to stand up to do it
February 5th, 2016 at 10:08 PM ^
Don't worry, they'll be dead soon.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:32 AM ^
and PSU, MSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa etc. can do night games with the weather and conditions
February 5th, 2016 at 11:39 AM ^
February 5th, 2016 at 11:42 AM ^
Uh OSU played them at 3:30 this past season.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:52 AM ^
February 5th, 2016 at 12:01 PM ^
It gets dark probably around 5ish and with the weather confitions it probably looked like a night game when they kicked off.
February 5th, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^
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February 5th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
All the cool kids say facepalm these days. Evolve bruh.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:53 AM ^
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February 5th, 2016 at 12:31 PM ^
it was a night game by the time they were done, right?
February 5th, 2016 at 11:41 AM ^
Sam was talking about Alabama vs. Michigan when he toured their facility down there in the summer. We have a better indoor facility and museum but our weight room area, training area, meeting room and loker rooms are lacking.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:41 AM ^
February 5th, 2016 at 11:47 AM ^
You can't be talking about Gus Johnson? He is the most exciting commentator in sports currently. He could make a chess match exciting to watch. Way better than Joe Buck. Not to mention he is from the great state of Michigan.
February 5th, 2016 at 11:54 AM ^
February 5th, 2016 at 1:12 PM ^
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