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Michigan Football: Jim Harbaugh Has Great Response to NCAA

By Tyler Fenwick

Jan 1, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh walks down the sidelines during the second quarter against the Florida Gators in the 2016 Citrus Bowl at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh walks down the sidelines during the second quarter against the Florida Gators in the 2016 Citrus Bowl at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan football has been in the headlines constantly this offseason. With the NCAA banning satellite camps, Jim Harbaugh is back at it again.

You knew it was only a matter of time before Michigan football was put back in the news cycle because of Jim Harbaugh.

Related Story: Camps ban shows shady sign of fans

After the NCAA stepped in and banned satellite camps, effectively deflecting Michigan away from the South and limiting how much exposure student-athletes can get, Harbaugh talked with Sports Illustrated about how he’s taking all this in. (Hint: It’s about how you’d expect.)

“The incompetence of the NCAA has reared its ugly head yet again,” said Harbaugh.

Though Harbaugh didn’t invent the satellite camp, you’d be hard pressed to find a college coach who used it more effectively and, therefore, got on the nerves of other coaches/conferences.

The SEC and ACC got its way, pushing the NCAA to make what Harbaugh called a “knee-jerk” reaction.

“I mean, what’s it based on?” said Harbaugh. “A survey? There wasn’t a lot of discussion or study. What are the facts? What are the perils and merits of making that decision? It just seemed lacking in that regard.”

Harbaugh famously took his staff around the country last year on a “Summer Swarm” satellite camp tour, which drew the attention of the nation as he put in more work than any other coach was willing to do and got the results because of it. As many wisely point out, the SEC and ACC coaches were probably just not wanting to have to keep up with Harbaugh. Who would?

MORE: What if Jim Hackett hadn’t fired Brady Hoke?

That was the case with Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.

“I’m away from my family enough,” said Freeze, “and I just did not want to go,”

Harbaugh didn’t take that very well.

“You’ve got a guy sitting in a big house, making $5 million a year, saying he does not want to sacrifice his time,” Harbaugh said. “That is not a kindred spirit to me. What most of these coaches are saying is they don’t want to work harder.”

And he’s absolutely right. So the NCAA, instead of promoting harder work, decided it’d be best to make student-athletes work double-time to scramble for money/time to get to as many camps as possible, instead being able to go to just one or two where multiple college coaches would be.

Harbaugh’s best line deals with the hypocrisy of the NCAA.

"“During the NCAA basketball tournament we discuss the term ‘student-athlete’ ad nauseam in promoting our governing institution and our member institutions. Then, when we have an opportunity to truly promote the ‘student-athlete’ with a concept shared by educators and football men from all backgrounds, our leadership goes into hiding.“I suggest we drop the term ‘student-athlete’ for consistency.”"

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Can’t wait to see what the NCAA has to say about that.

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