Will Deion Sanders’ intriguing idea save spring games?
In his Monday news conference, the third-year Colorado Buffaloes head coach said he wants his team to face another opponent in its annual spring game on April 19 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
“That’s what I’m trying to do right now, to have it competitive. Playing against your own guys gets kind of monotonous, and you really can’t tell the levels of your guys,” Sanders said. “It’s the same old, same old. Everybody kind of knows each other.”
Sanders also explained he hopes his proposal stirs up publicity so spring games don’t disappear.
“We’ve got to see this thing out and pack this thing because the way the trend is going, you never know if this is going to be the last spring game,” Sanders said. “I don’t believe in that. I don’t really condone that.”
According to On3’s Nick Kosko, in February, Nebraska third-year HC Matt Rhule said he was canceling the Huskers’ annual spring game. The coach said he was concerned recruiters from other schools would come and try to convince his players to transfer.
In a February interview with FanDuel’s “Up and Adams,” fifth-year Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said the Longhorns wouldn’t have a spring game, either.
Sarkisian, however, indicated he was concerned about his team’s health after two straight College Football Playoff appearances. Keep in mind the CFP expanded from four teams to 12 last season, which lengthened the season.
“Over the last two years, we’ve played 30 games,” Sarkisian said. “That’s a lot for college football.”
With all of the changes in college football, whether it’s the transfer portal or the longer schedule, it’s easy to see why spring games are going extinct. On March 10, ESPN reported that 19 Power Four schools have canceled their spring game.
Sanders’ idea may pique fans’ interest, but it’s unclear if the Sanders proposal will reverse the trend of teams canceling spring games. However, Syracuse HC Fran Brown indicated he’s willing to accept Sanders’ offer Monday on his X account.
