The NCAA’s FBS oversight committee on Friday denied a waiver request, filed last week by Colorado and Syracuse’s football programs, that proposed a joint 11-on-11 spring scrimmage game, according to Chris Vannini of The Athletic.
The waiver request also proposed contact and non-contact practice sessions between the Buffaloes and Orange in the 2025 spring practice period. In an explanation of its denial obtained by Vannini, the NCAA listed two main areas of concern with the request:
“The timing of the request, noting most institutions have already planned their spring practice periods and some are at the end of, or have completed, their spring practice period,” the NCAA said.
“The competitive and recruiting advantage gained by the applicant institutions if a waiver was approved to allow these institutions to engage in activities no other institutions are permitted to do. And the potential academic impact associated with student athletes missing class time to participate in spring activities.”
However, the committee agreed to further discussions, in a future meeting, that could ultimately lead to joint spring practices in the future. The idea of a joint spring practice and game isn’t new, but it quickly picked up steam again after Sanders floated a pro-style alternative to the current format while speaking to reporters last week.
“Actually I would like to play against another team this spring, that’s what I’m trying to do right now,” Sanders said. “To have a competitive (game) playing against your own guys… you really can’t tell the level of your guys because it’s the same old, same old. Everybody kind of knows each other.
“I would like to style it like the pros. I would like to practice against someone for a few days, then you have the spring game. I think the public would be satisfied with that tremendously.”
Just hours after Sanders made his comments, Syracuse coach Fran Brown, in a post on X, proposed that his Orange would be interested in such an arrangement. The two schools reportedly filed a request later that week.
While the request was denied this time around, it sounds like a joint spring practice between two programs could soon be a part of college football.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
