FSU coach Leonard Hamilton thinks calling Michigan a football school is ‘ridiculous’

Leonard Hamilton doesn't like when Michigan -- or any school -- is called a football school.

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Posted 3 weeks ago

On Saturday night, No. 3 seed Michigan and No. 9 seed Florida State will meet in an Elite Eight matchup.

The winner will advance to the Final Four, which is every college basketball player’s dream. In order to make a Final Four, a team has to be pretty good. Or, at the least, playing well at the right time.

So, when you think of the University of Michigan, what immediately comes to mind? Football? Is Michigan a football school?

Florida State basketball coach Leonard Hamilton thinks labeling a school a “football school” or “basketball school” is ridiculous.

“I think that’s one of the most ridiculous phrases that I’ve heard — football school, basketball school,” Hamilton said. “The basketball world that I know of, that I live in, never identified them as a football school. As a matter of fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever really heard anybody use that phrase, other than maybe coming from a reporter. I just think that’s a cliche and that’s a phrase that we need to eliminate.”

Hamilton’s response to the question — according to the Detroit News article — lasted around 2½ minutes. He then talked about how nobody calls Florida State a baseball or soccer school, despite the Seminoles’ success in those sports.

Hamilton did mention how big football is, though, and how much of a crowd one football game at Michigan for example can draw.

“Obviously, football seats at Michigan about 100,000 people. So, they’re successful. That brings a lot of revenue to the school. They’re able to support a lot of the non-revenue sports that gives kids an opportunity to — they raise money to pay for the scholarships for kids that maybe wouldn’t have an opportunity to go to school and get their degrees any other way.

“So, I just think that it all works together, and that’s part of the college experience. At Michigan, like a lot of other schools, they’re supportive of their university. It seems like on the weekends they come back and it’s kind of like almost a homecoming every time or reunion on the weekends, which I think is all positive.”

Tip-off between Michigan and Florida State is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday. The game will be televised on TBS.

The contest — according to Hamilton’s beliefs — is also between two schools that are having great basketball seasons. Not two “football schools.”