Mark Dantonio open to moving Michigan State spring practice, too

Published Feb. 12, 2016 3:29 p.m. ET

foxsports

Mark Dantonio and Jim Harbaugh are competitors, but Dantonio admitted Harbaugh's idea to move part of Michigan's spring practice to Florida has some merit.

SpartanTailgate reports that during a speaking appearance at an annual tailgate event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Thursday night Dantonio threw out the possibility of Michigan State going to Texas or Florida for spring practice.

“I think it’s creative, there’s no question about that,” Dantonio said. “From our standpoint, we’ve never thought to do that, but we’re thinking about it nowadays.”

Michigan State has had the upper hand on the field for most of Dantonio's nine-plus years in East Lansing, but Michigan got the better of the Spartans on the recruiting trail this past year.

While Dantonio signed Scout.com's No. 18 class in the country, Harbaugh's first full-year recruiting class at Michigan checked in at No. 6.

The two coaches look headed for some epic recruiting battles down the line, both locally and outside the Midwest, so it only makes sense for Dantonio to keep open any option he can for acquiring more talent for the Green and White.

But it sounds like he wants to do it without compromising his program's identity.

“From my perspective, we try to worry about what’s going on with our program,” he said, “I do think it’s important to have a level playing field for all colleges and for all universities. From my perspective we worry about who we are and what we do from there.”

While Michigan State is still looking for its first verbal commitment for 2017, Michigan has four.

That group includes two prospects from the state of Michigan: Oak Park offensive lineman Jaraymond Hall and Bloomfield Brother Rice tight end Carter Dunaway.