ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh spent months planning this spring's trip to Rome. And he has looked ahead further than that, too.
"This is all centered around the study abroad," Harbaugh said after the Signing of the Stars event Wednesday at the Crisler Center. "We're going to give our players off all of May to pursue their study abroad. I thought (Rome) was a good center spot. Year 2, I want to go to South Africa. Year 3, I want to go to Japan. Year 4, I want to go to Israel. Year 5, not totally determined yet, but New Zealand or London, one of those two. The possibilities are limitless, and the educational opportunity for our players is to the moon.
"So that's where we want to go _ if we could."
This year's trip on April 22-30 will conclude spring practice with three workouts. Spring ball will begin March 24 in Ann Arbor. Final exams begin April 20 _ if any player has a test after the team leaves, he will travel to Italy separately.
The NCAA has outlawed trips during school breaks _ like last year's U-M trip to IMG over spring break. But this trip to Italy is being tied to educational endeavors. Harbaugh said the entire cost is being covered by a single anonymous donor.
"One incredible guy," Harbaugh said. "One incredible Michigan Man."
Putting the trip together was a massive undertaking. Harbaugh said the idea came to him on a flight to Baltimore for a satellite camp June 6. When he was picked up by future associate head coach Biff Poggi in Maryland, he threw out the idea, and "he loved it."
Many wondered what Poggi has been doing for the past year. It seems that planning this trip was most of it. Harbaugh said that the NCAA allows U-M to get passports for players through the study abroad program.
"Biff Poggi has done legwork, organized, planned since that day," Harbaugh said. "We owe an incredible debt of gratitude, He's talked to the Department of Defense, he's had meetings in Rome, he's talked to the Italian ambassador. He's talked to people at the Vatican. He originally put the hotel down on his own credit card before it was approved by the University of Michigan. ... I told him I would put mine down with him. And when it came time to do it, I was like, 'Eh, (tapping his pockets for the missing card).' But the two of us said, 'If it doesn't get approved, we'll take our family and friends to Rome.' "
