How Big Ten Football Programs Adjusted Their Spring Practice Schedules Around Spring Break in 2016

Spring break serves as a brief hiatus from studies for college kids all over the country. Students get to take a breath before they dive headfirst into the final sessions and exams of that academic term.

Some young scholars take the opportunity to head home and see their families. Others bolt to the tropics of the southern states for a beach stint, at last breaking free of Old Man Winter.

College football programs, however, get no such break — at least behind the scenes.

Student-athletes are just that first — students. They have classes to attend, projects to complete and tests to take. Spring break offers an escape from those barriers for a week or so. In college football, spring practice is either right around the corner, already started or somewhere in between. Fans salivate at any news made available when drills open, even though the season is roughly six months out.

In the Big Ten, however, 13 of 14 football programs take a hard stop for spring break or commence practice after 2016's post-winter lull in classes. Only one — Michigan — had its players on the practice field during the university's vacation.

Jim Harbaugh blazed a trail when he announced the Wolverines were set for a one-week crusade at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Michigan practiced four times at IMG during its school's spring break from Feb. 29 to March 4, with the final session open to the public.

"We'll go to Florida and have four practices down there. We're going to work hard but we'll have fun doing it," Harbaugh said via mlive.com. "I've already got some good plans. We'll have swim meets, putt-putt golf. We're going to have football meetings, practice. I think it gives a chance to win on a lot of different levels."

It made SEC coaches sick, because a Big Ten #brand imposed on their precious fertile recruiting territory for the first time in such a manner, though there is no NCAA rule against doing it. Even Urban Meyer said Tuesday he's looking into the possibility of doing the same as soon as 2017.

"I think it's creative. I always worry about taking their spring break from them... but I'm looking into it for next year, and maybe the future too," Meyer told ESPN Gainesville's Sara Perlman at the Tim Tebow Celebrity Golf Classic. "Because it's creative, and if it's good for the players we would probably do it."

Meyer's fear is a real one for coaches across the country. Once spring break commences, any on-field training by college football players is voluntary. Players want to go home and see their families and let their bodies rest.

Ohio State practiced on Tuesday and Thursday last week before heading out for break. The Buckeyes are scheduled to return to the practice field Tuesday, getting after it three times a week until the annual spring game at Ohio Stadium April 16.

How are the other schools in the Big Ten handling spring break this March and April? Here's a look:

Five teams — Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State and Rutgers — are scheduled to hold all their spring practices after the school goes on break. Illinois grew that list by one Wednesday when it announced its revised spring schedule. The Fighting Illini hired Lovie Smith March 7 after parting with Bill Cubit a day earlier. Smith said at his introductory press conference the school planned to push back the start of spring ball until he had his coaching staff in place, so it is slated to open April 1.

As stated above, the only program to practice during spring break was Michigan, though its players didn't mind putting the pads on during days they didn't have to go to class. It helps when you're in sunny Florida, however.

Overall, it is not uncommon for teams to halt spring drills when students are on break. Ohio State is one of those programs, but as Meyer said Tuesday it could change as early as next year.

Northwestern remains on the quarter system, so its spring break is longer than the other schools in the Big Ten. The 10-day window for final exams from winter quarter in addition to spring break is a likely reason the football program plans to squeeze nine practices in before Friday.

Ohio State switched from quarters to semesters a few years ago making the football program adjust its spring schedule. Spring practices used to comprise the entire month of April. So does the new schedule — with a break sandwiched in the middle — help or hurt a team's development?

"I don't know. It's hard to really tell," Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said March 10. "I've been so engrained in that it started April 1 then it ended the last Saturday in April for all those years here when we were a quarter school. I think you have the ability to be able to spread spring ball out over a six-week period and then what in turn that does is it gives you more opportunities to be with the guys."

Spreading practices out keeps things fresh, but Ohio State is a very young team so Meyer and his staff likely want to keep things moving. Meyer is pleased with the first two days, however. He took a break himself to go play golf with a former quarterback this week, but the Buckeyes, and some other Big Ten schools, get back at it in a few days.