On Dave Brandon's radar: A neutral site Michigan football game at Miami Dolphins' Sun Life Stadium
Dave Brandon
The Michigan football team may one day travel to Florida to play a neutral site game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, athletic director Dave Brandon said Monday at an alumni event in Naples, Fla.
Michigan already has scheduled a neutral site game for Sept. 1, 2012 at Cowboys Stadium against Alabama. A game at Sun Life Stadium - home of the Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami - would help the Wolverines reach an important recruiting area, Brandon told the University of Michigan Alumni Club of Southwest Florida, Naplesnews.com reported.
Stephen Ross, a Michigan alumnus and whose name is on the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the university, is the principal owner of Sun Life Stadium.
“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, according to Naplesnews.com. “We don’t have anything scheduled, but that’s something we’d consider because this is an important recruiting area for us as well.”
The Wolverines currently have 10 players from Florida on their roster and another, Tony Posada of Tampa, in the incoming recruiting class.
Comments
rensational
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 8:31 a.m.
I understand the recruiting argument, but it's also not like we don't get that opportunity playing bowl games in the South or California every season (or what used to be every season before...well, you know). People like to talk about how Michigan plays so many home games, but the deck is ALWAYS stacked against the Big Ten location-wise during bowl season because we're always going to some team's backyard or not far from it. Why go down to TX and FL during the regular season, too, especially to play bowl-like opponents, i.e. Alabama? If anything, we need to get those teams to come play up here sometimes, and I'm not talking about Appalachian State and San Diego State but Big Six schools like Oregon did in 2007. Come play when it's cold, too, not in early September. Georgia seems like they're cool with traveling...LSU is going to WVU this season...UCLA went to Texas...
Dusty
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 4:38 a.m.
The Big Ten plays it's ooc games largely at the beginning of the season. Not much opportunity for ooc games in October or November. Here and there you'll see it, but it's fairly rare. And the whole weather thing is overblown anyway. I've played football in 30 degrees, and I've played in 90. I'd rather play a game in Wisconsin in late November than in Florida the first week of September.
Dusty
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 2:34 a.m.
Speaking of Miami, can we get the Hurricanes on the schedule sometime in the next decade? I'd like to get the taste out of my mouth from that game in '88.
heartbreakM
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 1:48 a.m.
Gotta love the vision that Brandon has as opposed to Martin who thought division III schools were challenging.
golfer
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 10:24 p.m.
it is a fact mich will play this game. reason ROSS. ross is a michigan big time. so it will happen willing to be money?
81wolverine
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 8:32 p.m.
I'm all for it. Florida is a great hotbed of talent. Also, I'd much rather give the business to Stephen Ross than that lowlife Jerry Jones.
Chilltime
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 7:14 p.m.
All about the BRAND
treetowncartel
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 4:27 p.m.
Playing a school that is not from Florida would give that school a recruiting opportunity too.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 5:21 p.m.
unless it was EMU ......GO HURONS!!!!!
Lorain Steelmen
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 3:47 p.m.
relax guys...this one is a ways down the road yet.
michboy40
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:17 p.m.
It stands to reason that we would play a Florida team if we went there, but that would make it a "not so neutral" site. Maybe a Georgia or a Texas?
Ignatz
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.
I'm anxious to see what team they would play.