Spring football as we know it might be nearing its end across college football. Several programs plan to eliminate public spring games this offseason, and prominent coaches are campaigning to transform the allotted 15 days of practices into NFL-style organized team activities in June or July.
The idea is nothing new, but it is gaining traction. Sources told CBS Sports that FBS coaches discussed a potential proposal to eliminate spring practices and implement OTAs in the late spring and early summer months at the American Football Coaches Association annual meeting in January. The goal is to better organize rosters before the summer semester and combat tampering before the spring transfer portal window opens in mid-April.
Coaches opted not to discuss the topic at length in January, instead focusing their efforts on shrinking transfer portal windows — 30 days in December and 10 in April — to a single 10-day period starting in early January. Their proposal was unanimously approved by about 60 coaches in attendance at the meeting, but faces potential roadblocks as it seeks ratification from the NCAA oversight committee and Division I Council.
Nebraska’s Matt Rhule made waves earlier this month when he revealed the Huskers would likely not conduct an open spring scrimmage for fans because he fears other programs will poach their players after seeing them on national television.
“The word ‘tampering’ no longer exists,” Rhule said. “It’s just absolute free, open, common market. So I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys and say ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.'”
CBS Sports polled 18 FBS coaches on whether they would conduct spring scrimmages this offseason. Ten said they would, but several would hesitate if their intrasquad scrimmage was televised as many are in the Big Ten and SEC.
“I respect Matt, but if they want your players, they will get them (whether) you have a spring game or not,” a head coach in the Sun Belt said.
“No spring game,” one SEC head coach said. “I give zero shits about tampering, but I care more about not getting players injured.”
Tampering has long been an issue for coaches. Former Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson, who stepped down in January, was critical of other programs poaching players from his roster.
“Matt Rhule’s reason is viable, as we had people watching our players at last year’s spring game and then offering them deals to transfer,” an ACC head coach told CBS Sports.
Many coaches, however, are content with sailing into the headwinds.
“If someone wants to leave after spring and is tampered with then I didn’t want them anyhow,” another ACC head coach said. “They will eventually quit on you at some point.”
Said an AAC head coach: “Our rosters get tampered with constantly. I’m not sure that playing a spring game or not would really change that.”
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze supports eliminating spring practices and moving to 10 days of OTAs in June.
“I don’t even want spring practice,” he told CBS Sports.
Many of the coaches surveyed by CBS Sports echoed Freeze’s sentiment. One Mountain West coach proposed a 30-day football activity period from the start of the spring semester to the end of June, allowing 10 days of “contact” practices during that span.
Considerations outside of tampering and injuries include the makeup of teams in the spring, when rosters hardly resemble what they will look like in preseason camp in August. Many transfers and freshmen do not arrive on college campuses until the summer.
What about the fans? Thousands show up for annual spring games at their favorite schools to feed their curiosity and get a sneak peek. Unlike regular-season games — where ticket prices are skyrocketing with additional surcharges helping supplement NIL coffers — admission to the scrimmages is usually free, providing fans who are financially unable to attend games a once-in-a-year opportunity to take their families to experience a game day on campus.
Some spring games have become made-for-TV carnivals. Ole Miss‘ Lane Kiffin did not conduct a full scrimmage in 2024, replacing the event with hot-dog eating contests, a tug-of-war championship and golf cart races. Several programs conduct “modified” scrimmages, pitting backups against first-teamers. Others run base plays in situational drills with a running clock.
“It creates sometimes unrealistic expectations for fans,” an ACC coach said.
Coaches told CBS Sports that further discussion on offseason workouts is expected after the House v. NCAA settlement is approved on April 7. That date is viewed as the sport’s de facto inflection point, paving the way for revenue sharing with players in July, smaller 105-man rosters and more calendar tweaks.
“It creates sometimes unrealistic expectations for fans,” a head coach in the ACC said.
Coaches told CBS Sports that further discussion on offseason workouts is expected after the House v. NCAA settlement is approved on April 7. That date is viewed as the sport’s de facto inflection point, paving the way for revenue-sharing with players in July, smaller 105-man rosters, and more calendar tweaks.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
