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Bad weather is putting a damper on plans for some college football programs' spring games this weekend. Michigan joined a group of schools opting to cancel their annual spring scrimmage because of impending thunderstorms throughout the Midwest. Due to a limited number of spring practices remaining for the team, Michigan announced Wednesday it would not reschedule Saturday's "situational scrimmage," which was going to be open to the public. Wisconsin and Iowa State had previously nixed games scheduled to take place this weekend. Some schools in the region have altered their plans this week in order to play spring games. Minnesota will play its annual game Thursday night under the lights. Head coach P.J. Fleck said skipping the game was "not an option" because he wanted to give young players an opportunity to play in a gamelike situation and to give fans an opportunity to see the team. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and athletic director Warde Manuel said they were disappointed that fans will miss their lone opportunity to see the team this spring, but the safety of the team, fans and staff at the stadium was the top priority. "We want to ensure the safety of our fans as well as the student-athletes and staff," Manuel said in a statement. "We also wanted to provide as much notice in advance for fans and the families of our players that were considering attending." Wisconsin announced its plan to cancel the Badgers' spring game Tuesday evening with no plans to reschedule. Iowa State canceled its game Monday. Both schools cited safety concerns with the coming storms. "The only thing you feel bad for is our fan base because you love the opportunity for our kids to get out," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell told reporters earlier this week. "Our fans have been so awesome to us the last two years, in terms of showing up and have been such a huge, huge piece of why that's been such a positive event."
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