Jim Harbaugh is the godfather of satellite camps. So is it any surprise that the Michigan coach, as camp season nears, wants to keep his friends close and his enemies closer?
Harbaugh, speaking to reporters Thursday at the Michigan Softball Academy, said he welcomed the opportunity next month to share the stage at satellite camps with Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.
In the debate that centered around the April 8 ban of satellite camps by the Division I Council and the April 28 rescinding of that ban by the NCAA board of directors, Harbaugh squared off with Smart and Freeze, among others.
But asked about his scheduled appearances in June alongside the SEC coaches, Harbaugh said he's pleased that they've "come around" on the issue.
"I won't hold that against them," Harbaugh said. "And [I] look forward to it. It's collegial. I really like that about it."
A May 2015 interpretation by the NCAA prevents coaches and the visiting schools from promoting satellite camps. But they are coming. Every Big Ten school has been connected to at least one camp in recent media reports.
Satellite-camp season opens June 1 after the close of the spring evaluation period, during which time head coaches are not allowed on the road to see prospects.
Here's a rundown of the information available. It is not a complete list and subject to change as more announcements are made by the host institutions.
Michigan again appears set to organize the most extensive schedule of camps, with dates confirmed in Tennessee, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Connecticut, Texas, Tampa, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia and Kansas City.
The Sound Mind Sound Body camp series, based in Detroit with six stops nationally, has drawn Big Ten involvement from Michigan State, Penn State, Maryland, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska.
Iowa has participated previously in the SMSB camps and may return. The Hawkeyes are linked to a mega camp hosted by Samford that also features Alabama, Georgia and Georgia Tech.
Speaking of mega camps, Northwestern appears signed up as the lone Big Ten representative at a series of events in Texas hosted by Division III Mary-Hardin Baylor. The Wildcats will also continue to host their Chicagoland Showcase, which does not count as a satellite camp for Northwestern but draws various college coaches to a fertile recruiting ground.
Purdue is headed to several Big Ten-area destinations in June.
Nebraska plans to scale back its satellite travel to focus on its on-campus camps, but the Cornhuskers will stage an event in California.
Penn State returns to Old Dominion for a camp, sharing space with Syracuse. Maryland is also teaming with Old Dominion in addition to its SMSB involvement.
Illinois, Indiana and Rutgers are set to join Marshall for Florida A&M's event at Plant High School in Tampa. The Illini also made plans before the temporary ban to camp in Chicago, St. Louis and Texas.
And finally, Ohio State has yet to make a big splash, but surely, something will surface. Back in March, the Buckeyes prepared to attend an event near Atlanta, and they've reportedly made a move to schedule a camp at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the program that sent Joey Bosa and his brother, five-star 2016 signee Nick Bosa, to Ohio State.
All that's missing is an international flavor. Don't laugh. Bret Bielema sounds serious about it. The Arkansas coach wants to go global.