Mark Snyder

Detroit Free Press

Michigan football may not be leaving during spring break this year.

Only because something bigger and more involved may follow later.

TheWolverine.com reported in its "Inside the Fort" posted today that U-M may spend the final week of spring practice in Rome, Italy, allowing the team to practice, take an educational trip and some players could remain in Europe to study abroad. The site said the planning has been in the works for months.

The site said this could be the first of annual trips overseas, buoyed by U-M's international brand.

U-M was under heavy scrutiny for it decision to travel to practice in Florida last year during spring break, which led to the NCAA legislation passed today in Nashville at the autonomy hearings. The proposal passed today only limits trips during vacation periods and going at the end of April would be after the semester concluded.

Michigan's final exams for the winter term are scheduled for April 20-21 and April 24-27.

This would be a trip similar to the men's and women's college basketball programs, which practice and play exhibitions overseas, a foreign tour, in the summer.

Related:

Sorry, Wolverines: NCAA bans spring break practice trips

Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!