The Michigan Wolverines, one of the storied college programs in American football with a history that stretches back to 1879, are taking their spring preparations to Rome, Italy.
Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history.The team is known for its distinctive winged helmet, its fight song, its record-breaking attendance figures at Michigan Stadium, and its many rivalries, particularly its annual, regular-season-ending game against Ohio State, once voted as ESPN‘s best sports rivalry. (Wikipedia).
Football coaches, players and fans across Italy and Europe have a fantastic opportunity to see this college program up close at practice and in a game April 27-April 29, at the facility of CONI (Italian Olympic Committee).
Michigan, which called the trip a “a special educational and football experience,” said in a release earlier this year:
“During the trip to Rome, the Wolverines will be immersed in the culture of Italy. The team will visit historic landmarks, spend time with youth at orphanages, and visit deployed U.S. military in the country amongst other team activities,” the release says. “The experience will culminate with a youth clinic, and the team will play a scrimmage that will be open to the Italian public.”
Register to attend game, coaches clinic
To attend the game on Saturday April 29 at 2 pm and the coaches clinic (for Italian Federation coaches and staff) Friday April 28 from 3 to 4:30 pm, registration is required by April 26. Registration forms can be found on the FIDAF (Italian American Football Federation) website. Click the box to the right of the page with the large Michigan M.
The practice sessions are open to the public and require no registration.
Admission is free for all of these events.
Schedule (Location: Field 1 of the training centre (which is usually only used for rugby). CPO Giulio Onesti – Largo G. Onesti, 1 Rome)
Practice
Thursday April 27 9 am – 1:30 pm
Practice
Friday April 28 9 am – 1:30 pm
Coaches clinic
Friday April 28 3 – 4:30 pm
Game (Gates open at Noon)
Saturday April 29 2 pm
Groups/teams
If you have a group or team that would like to take part, please send a list of the participants’names on headed paper to press@fidaf.org no later than April 26.