It was just an idea — two Power Four coaches, two resurgent programs, one spring football game.
Colorado’s Deion Sanders and Syracuse’s Fran Brown wanted to throw out the old and tired intra-squad dress rehearsal and do something radical: play each other. Helmets popping, crowd cheering, scoreboard ticking. A real game, not a glorified walkthrough in full pads.
A concept so obvious it felt revolutionary.
The NCAA’s FBS Oversight Committee said no.
And that’s exactly the problem.
Because coaches around the country are starting to see the vision. Spring football, in its current form, feels stuck in neutral. There’s real momentum building toward something bigger — something with juice. And Coach Prime and Coach Brown nearly lit the fuse.
What started as a fun idea out west should be a wake-up call for a change in college football.
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said what many are thinking. He’d be down for a spring home-and-home series with Oklahoma. That’s Bedlam in April, with actual fans and maybe even ticket revenue. OU’s move to SEC ended that annual rivalry, so a spring showdown would renew it.
Gundy has a point. Imagine the possibilities:
Ticket sales.
TV interest.
A jolt of spring energy in sleepy college towns.
And most importantly, a break from scrimmaging the same guys you’ve been hitting all spring.
Players are itching to pop pads against someone who doesn’t share their locker room.
Here in the 757, what about a Battle of Norfolk in April?
Norfolk State vs. Old Dominion. A cross-town collision under the spring sun. New-look Spartans vs. an FBS team that’s trying to re-establish its footing. Both programs would gain from the exposure, the competition and the bragging rights.
Or how about Hampton getting in on the action with a tilt against Virginia State? What’s…
Source link : https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/04/23/football-spring-games-change/
Author :
Publish date : 2025-04-23 19:53:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
