Alabama coach confirms interest in 2012 football game against Michigan in Texas
Oregon State and TCU played at Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 4.
Associated Press
Alabama football coach Nick Saban expanded upon an idea Thursday night that Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon brought up weeks ago.
Michigan and Alabama could play each other in Texas at the new Cowboys Stadium during the 2012 football season.
“It hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re going to play Michigan in Dallas probably for sure,” Saban said on his weekly radio show.
That echoes comments Brandon made on Sept. 2.
“There’s certainly a possibility we’ll tee it up against Alabama, but that’s not a deal yet,” he said. “We’re having discussions and we’ll see where they go.”
On Friday afternoon, Michigan spokesperson Dave Ablauf said no deal has been reached.
The potential matchup of last year's national champ and college football's winningest all-time program was first reported by mgoblog.com on Aug. 8.
Comments
David Briegel
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 10:11 a.m.
Everyone thinks it is just fine to pay premium prices for crummy games? While the great games get shipped to.....Texas?
sedroc98
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.
blown out? all our stud fresh/soph will be stud jun/sen by then. all those texas recruites will be invited to the sidelines for the biggest college game of that year(regular season). this is a homerun anyway you look at it! go blue
GettingBluer
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 8:47 a.m.
That won't give our new coaching staff much time to prepare OR recruit "their kind of people". As you already know, RR left the cupboard bare.
Mick52
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 7:09 a.m.
Not in favor. Dumb idea. If Michigan gets blown out, you can forget about recruiting anyone from Texas, maybe all of down south to Michigan and maybe even the rest of the Big Ten. Also, it's tough enough for the regular guy to take his kid to a ballgame even at home because of the cost. Play Alabama, okay sure, but not in Texas, it has to be home/home. For years I have been deflecting critics complaining of how college football has become nothing but big business. The U used to argue that too, but it looks now that they want the bigger bucks too.
treetowncartel
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 1:11 a.m.
@ APAYNE, you only Facbook while drinking, AA.com frowns upon imbibing and providing commentary.
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 1:07 a.m.
what I was thinking the big ten sched. IS horrrible i like its set up as long as we play osu at the end of the year. WE WANT THEM SO BAD IT HURTS
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 1:06 a.m.
what I was thinking the big ten sched. IS horrrible i like its set up as long as we play osu at the end of the year. WE WANT THEM SO BAD IT HURTS
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 1 a.m.
some of you think denard cant throw well in the pocket; what about drew what about peyton
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 12:50 a.m.
And now that i think about it why would jerryt jones sch. this game do you have any iadea how many players we will take from your state
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 12:31 a.m.
and 2 those nay sayers. watch and learn a thing or 2 about foootball. Iwould be willing to bet the farm OSU is shaking in there boots already, about how to stop our offense. don forget the last time calvin mc gee was with us he put up monster # all year long.
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 12:26 a.m.
lots of us real fans are waiting for the next season even before this is over so bring it on 2012 we aint scarrrrred.
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 12:22 a.m.
Like I said before, it takes a lot of guts to play in a foootball atmosphere and know you can win.
APAYNE
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 : 12:19 a.m.
I truely think this is groundbreaking for M. it takes guts to venture into a land of football and know you you can win GO BLUE!
Metalc0reJ
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 10:38 p.m.
Why do you guys assume a blowout? Certainly blowouts are always a possibility. Any team theoretically could blow us out. Alabama certainly didn't blowout Penn State, who went into the game with a true freshman quarterback. Now, losing 24-3 is hardly competing, but we know in 2 years we'll have a very talented veteran quarterback leading us, and who knows how many more impact players. Like maybe Demetrius Hart, I haven't looked recently but I hope he decides on Michigan. Have a little faith in the program people. Believe me, I'm just as scared as a lot of you. And no, I'm not exactly sold on our entire coaching staff. I just choose to, as a fan, believe that the entire Michigan program wants to win as badly as I want them to. It's as simple as that. We can't even begin to guess how each of these programs will look in 2 years, although that's exactly what I've done. :|
Metalc0reJ
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 10:31 p.m.
So much positive and negative analysis about this. Just think about it. Denard Robinson would be a senior perhaps with a Heisman already under his belt. Or maybe Devin Gardner will have the reigns at that point. Craig Roh will be a senior and the anchor of our defense, hopefully with some young talented defenders around him. Alabama will most assuredly be a top-5 team with all the 5-stars they're pulling in. Michigan will definitely be an underdog, if not a huge one a small one. As much as I want to believe in this program, it seems highly unreasonable to put us at Alabama's level in just 2 years, given our last 2 years. I can only speculate as to where each program will be, hopefully Michigan will be coming off back-to-back 9+ win seasons. Alabama will surely be doing the same. It will just be exciting to see these 2 teams on the field, period.
Pete Warburton
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 8:53 p.m.
In 2012 the newly formed college football players union will use the Michigan / Alabama Game in Texas as proof the universities in D-1 are using players just to make MONEY.....
David Briegel
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 7:30 p.m.
Michigan has a huge fan following anywhere and everywhere. All you positive folks answer this. How much will a huge blow out impact recruiting? This just doesn't make a lot of us feel too good about our Blue!
Dick
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 6:56 p.m.
I would feel better about this if the team as a whole feels that it is a good choice to play. Money isn't everything, and Michigan fans love having an extra home game. I feel the higher ups need to talk to the players to see how they feel. This team is improving, but bite my tongue, is not an Ohio State team that wins every year. I am sure with Michigan playing a game in Texas would be a big bonus for recruiting, but I feel give it another two years if it were me. Money is not everything, giving these players the confidence they need to play the big boys like Florida, Oregon, Louisiana State, Miami Fla, is more important, at least in my opinion.
MichFanTex
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 5:41 p.m.
Though this game will be at a neutral site, there is a very large Michigan contingent here in the DFW metroplex...Alabama, non-existent.
michboy40
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 4:42 p.m.
@Lumberg, To answer your questions. Yes...any school can always use more great athletes....and yes, playing in this game will boost recruiting win or loose. (We have had a nice pipeline to north Texas in the past and this will keep it open and/or expand it). As for the public opinion?...not sure what you are getting at, but I'm just saying I like it for a lot of reasons.
David Briegel
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 3:48 p.m.
Saginaw, that is the way Mich used to be! SemperFi, that would make too much sense!
SemperFi
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 3:09 p.m.
I understand the desire to put a Michigan football game in Texas for the recruiting aspect of it. Texas is a recruiting hotbed and it's good for the Texas HS kids to see the Maize & Blue in their own back yard. But why do it with Alabama? How about a home&home with the Texas Longhorns?
coldtoes
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 3:03 p.m.
Question E.r.m.g.......... Would you rather have the team win or the coaching staff lose? It seems to me that you are obsessed with the later. When the team wins now are you upset that the coaching staff did not lose????? Would you be upset if for some reason the team improved enough in two years to beat Alabama?(with a RR team). I guess what I'm trying to say is jump off the train. If it stops you won't be far behind, and if it doesn't then you can lie and tell everybody that you never jumped off. Nightmares and Bad Luck.
David Briegel
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 2:56 p.m.
Why would the people of Texas want this? Why would these geniuses deny their loyal fans who have to sit through these crummy games at premium prices only to be denied the truly premium games? Exploitation? Why would anyone remain loyal to these cynics??
lumberg48108
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 2:56 p.m.
@michboy40 Michigan needs a recruiting boost? High school coaches and players dont know about the U-M? Possibly getting their hats handed to them by a similar national power/program will "boost" recruting? your post seems to read like a plant from the U-M sports department - looking to make sure the public opinion is behind the new AD!
michboy40
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 2:49 p.m.
It's easy for me to see why they are not doing a h n h. First, playing Bama twice along with what I assume will be an improved ND team under Kelly is too much even for the mighty Wolverines. Second, the away year creates a major void in the athletic budget and Jerry Jones is paying both schools to bring the game there. Third, Cowboy stadium is the Ultimate football venue and will draw major league attention for both schools. (Much more than a regular home and home) So I love it because it will give Michigan a recruiting boost! David Brandon is bringing some new age thinking to the program! Love it!
lumberg48108
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 2:07 p.m.
I am not sold on regular season college games as "events" as I see it as overkill and could eventually diminish why college football is so popular in the first place -- local stadiums and rivalries and bowls, Why not play home-and-home with Alabama? How cool would it be to see "Bama in Ann Arbor and U-M play at their field? Why play in Texas? What is the rational for playing in a neutral site? TCU was FROM Texas...so that made sense. Creating "event" games will simply push the envelope further until normal games lose their meaning... How soon before college football jumps the shark? The NBA did years ago and so did College Hoops... some think the NFL is overexposed and could be ready for a dive (witness so many games not selling out so early in the season) and no sport is immune from overexposure... I think AD's need to think long term about having these types of games and the effect on the game in years to come.
saginaw
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 1:45 p.m.
Yes, yes, this is true leadership at UM! Play the best at any time and anywhere. Great players want to play these games. Tom Izzo has used this strategy for years -- and he proved that it works. At last we can start to really move forward. Saban will be surprised by how good Michigan is in 2012. We need more great players to come and play at Michigan -- banging heads with OSU is fine, but this kind of game places us in another stratosphere. GO BLUE
Blue Marker
Fri, Sep 24, 2010 : 1:21 p.m.
You can certainly tell the difference between AD Brandon and AD Martin when it comes to scheduling. Good job Dave! Slight complaint....next time do it as a home-n-home.