CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: 847badgerfan on February 26, 2025, 09:01:25 AM
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We'll start here. Rhule has a point.
Ohio State, Nebraska among teams eschewing spring games as part of college football's changing offseason - CBSSports.com (https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ohio-state-nebraska-among-teams-eschewing-spring-games-as-part-of-college-footballs-changing-offseason/)
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NCAA is weak
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Obsolete.
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pretty dumb not to have a spring game imo. i think you want to test your team and put them in as real a game situation as possible and see how they perform in front of a large crowd.
I think what would be even better than that would be two spring exhibition games- one where you go on the road to scrimmage a team in a game like environment and then another where you get to do one at home vs another team.
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Why are spring games being dropped?
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So portal pirates can't watch your kids.
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So portal pirates can't watch your kids.
The spring games are supposed to be for fans.
A cheap (or free) day at the ballpark, take the family --- scout your team for the new season, build excitement, and let the kiddos get autographs, interact with the players, and carouse with the team mascot.
Another big F U to the fans, IMO. "They" don't give a rip about us.
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The spring games are supposed to be for fans.
(https://i.imgur.com/cR2pApS.jpeg)
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I viewed spring games as being mostly for the new kids to get an experience in the stadium in front of a few fans, or more, in a pseudo-real game, a tune up. The freshmen who entered class in the spring get some useful PT.
I know it has become a fan event over the past decades as well in many places. I view the positives as more positive than any negatives.
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Spring games have been pretty irrelevant for years. They're nowhere close to game conditions and therefore zero value for game prep.
The spring games are supposed to be for fans.
A cheap (or free) day at the ballpark, take the family --- scout your team for the new season, build excitement, and let the kiddos get autographs, interact with the players, and carouse with the team mascot.
Another big F U to the fans, IMO. "They" don't give a rip about us.
This is all true, which is why some schools are considering killing the spring game and just having a fan day. Autograph signings and photo ops, maybe some punt/pass/kick type competitions. Some very basic drills. Something fun and interactive for the fans, but not bothering with even the pretense of a a scrimmage. I don't see that as an issue. The scrimmage itself is pretty worthless.
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So portal pirates can't watch your kids.
That reason is dumb as hell.
Spring games are silly, and the only upside has always been impressing recruits, letting small children (who maybe end up fans) have a nice afternoon and recently filling TV space.
But worrying about losing guys is deeply goofy. (Also maybe shows how insane coaches are)
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I don't like it.
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That reason is dumb as hell.
Spring games are silly, and the only upside has always been impressing recruits, letting small children (who maybe end up fans) have a nice afternoon and recently filling TV space.
But worrying about losing guys is deeply goofy. (Also maybe shows how insane coaches are)
well, Rhule has a few specific examples of kids he lost after last season's spring game to tampering
the game was televised and replayed many times
his other issue is injuries - 2 specific examples there as well
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neither of the two low end FCS teams in my neck of the woods have announced a spring game date either. Has this thing already permeated every level?
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I think the Badgers are doing one, but they don't have any players anyone wants.
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My guess is it's overall beneficial, but it's worth noting several programs disagree, so far. Maybe it's a trend.
Teams have various scrimmages in the Spring (and preseason), and the SG is a fancier scrimmage.
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Yeah but nobody is going to go, there's just way too many things to do in Madison. :111:
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Yeah but nobody is going to go, there's just way too many things to do in Madison. :111:
Very true.
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My guess is it's overall beneficial, but it's worth noting several programs disagree, so far. Maybe it's a trend.
Teams have various scrimmages in the Spring (and preseason), and the SG is a fancier scrimmage.
It's a silly useless scrimmage. It's always been more for the fans, so just do some other fan event, with even more interaction, and call it a day.
It might or might not be silly to cancel it to avoid other coaches seeing players they want to poach, but it's also silly to act like it's something important to player or team development. It's not.
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I still think it's important for player development and experience, not the experienced guys, but the newbies.
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I still think it's important for player development and experience, not the experienced guys, but the newbies.
Real scrimmages are important for that. The spring game is not.
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The spring game is not a "real scrimmage"? It adds some attributes not found in the SG, but it seems like a real scrimmage to me. What is lacking in it versus a regular scrimmage?
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I think it should be done for all the benefits
just don't allow TV cameras
and don't allow connor Stallions
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It might or might not be silly to cancel it to avoid other coaches seeing players they want to poach, but it's also silly to act like it's something important to player or team development. It's not.
If it's not important, with nothing of note to glean from it, then what are opposing coaches going to see that makes them want to poach a player(s)?
^^^ and if that is the case, then it is silly to cancel it.
(and the coaches already know who they want to poach regardless if they see a spring game or not --- so double silly IMO)
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I think "we" would say scrimmages can be useful. This is just a fancy scrimmage with fans, and TV. The players maybe get a bit excited for it over a regular scrimmage.
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The spring game is not a "real scrimmage"? It adds some attributes not found in the SG, but it seems like a real scrimmage to me. What is lacking in it versus a regular scrimmage?
More protection for players, less live action. It's an 11 on 11 drill. It's worthless for player and team prep. Just showing off for fans.
If it's not important, with nothing of note to glean from it, then what are opposing coaches going to see that makes them want to poach a player(s)?
^^^ and if that is the case, then it is silly to cancel it.
(and the coaches already know who they want to poach regardless if they see a spring game or not --- so double silly IMO)
Yeah, sure. The whole discussion is silly.
I guess opposing coaches don't necessarily know what freshmen EEs look like on a college field. But since the spring game is a worthless scrimmage with nobody playing anywhere near full speed, they're not going to get anything from the spring game anyway.
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I think "we" would say scrimmages can be useful. This is just a fancy scrimmage with fans, and TV. The players maybe get a bit excited for it over a regular scrimmage.
Gonna keep disagreeing with you, no matter how many times you restate your opinion as fact. I'm sure you feel the same, so "agree to disagree" seems appropriate here.
Regardless the whole discussion is silly. But canceling spring games is no big deal either way. Much ado about nothing.
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I think about the revenue lost or simply not collected
UNL charged $10 for a ticket, then parking and concessions.
BTN TV $$$ had to be good.
and lost revenue for the city of Lincoln, hotels, bars, food, parking, husker gear
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If it's not important, with nothing of note to glean from it, then what are opposing coaches going to see that makes them want to poach a player(s)?
^^^ and if that is the case, then it is silly to cancel it.
(and the coaches already know who they want to poach regardless if they see a spring game or not --- so double silly IMO)
Freshmen early enrollees at schools like mine that were under the radar to schools like yours.
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I think about the revenue lost or simply not collected
UNL charged $10 for a ticket, then parking and concessions.
BTN TV $$$ had to be good.
and lost revenue for the city of Lincoln, hotels, bars, food, parking, husker gear
It's not free? Wow. What a ripoff for fans.
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More protection for players, less live action. It's an 11 on 11 drill. It's worthless for player and team prep. Just showing off for fans.
Yeah, sure. The whole discussion is silly.
I guess opposing coaches don't necessarily know what freshmen EEs look like on a college field. But since the spring game is a worthless scrimmage with nobody playing anywhere near full speed, they're not going to get anything from the spring game anyway.
They saw them all on High School fields about 4 months ago. And recruited them.
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They saw them all on High School fields about 4 months ago. And recruited them.
Yeah. But not against college upperclassmen.
But, they're not really playing against college upperclassmen in a half-speed fan event, either, so nothing to see here.
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Yeah. But not against college upperclassmen.
But, they're not really playing against college upperclassmen in a half-speed fan event, either, so nothing to see here.
Exactly.
So this is just paranoia by college coaches.
The entire shit and shebang has gone nutty.
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Rhule had specific examples of players contacted by other schools a few days after the spring game stating they had watched the game and liked the kid's performance.
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Rhule had specific examples of players contacted by other schools a few days after the spring game stating they had watched the game and liked the kid's performance.
Okay. He should do what he feels is best for his team. I don't have any problem with that, not sure why anyone else does.
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I'm fine with coaches not having an SG of course, I'm just curious about their calculus. I still think it's a net positive all around.
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yup, same for the Longhorn coach and others
I don't think they are making this decision simply to stir things up, piss off fans and have less revenue
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I'm fine with coaches not having an SG of course, I'm just curious about their calculus. I still think it's a net positive all around.
don't worry, they will still have the scrimmage during the allotment of spring practices
they're just not inviting the public to watch
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yup, same for the Longhorn coach and others
I don't think they are making this decision simply to stir things up, piss off fans and have less revenue
No revenue at Texas, spring game is free. They do have some booths and concessions set up, not much really, it's not a major source of money. Or even a minor one.
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don't worry, they will still have the scrimmage during the allotment of spring practices
they're just not inviting the public to watch
I expect the players will get more out of a real scrimmage than they ever did from the fan event spring games.
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it was estimated that UNL had about $1 million in revenue from past spring games
not a big deal, but something
you could get a good Olineman for that
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I expect the players will get more out of a real scrimmage than they ever did from the fan event spring games.
yup, the only difference is the fans and TV cameras - some players perform differently when the lights come on
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it was estimated that UNL had about $1 million in revenue from past spring games
not a big deal, but something
you could get a good Olineman for that
If the school could pay players directly. Which they haven't been able to historically, until, perhaps, now...
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yup, the only difference is the fans and TV cameras - some players perform differently when the lights come on
At half-speed? I really don't think so.
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Husker scrimmage was at full speed
one of the reasons for the injuries
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The winners get steak and the losers get hot dogs and beans.
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yup - it's a hard fought contest
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No one's gonna get any film on Bam Childress from the spring game.
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We'll all miss that 3rd-string WR having 3 catches for 87 yds and a TD, causing about 8% of the fanbase to quietly predict a breakout season for him.
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When Jim Tressel replaced John Cooper early in 2001, he switched Childress from cornerback to receiver. Soon after, Bam caught a touchdown in the spring game – but went without a reception in the fall.
In 2002, Childress scored three TDs in the spring scrimmage and was listed as second team behind Chris Vance. But Chris Gamble’s emergence pushed Childress to the margins, and he ended the regular season with four catches.
The headline after the 2003 spring game was “Bam Steals the Show.” Childress scored TDs on a 94-yard kickoff return and two long receptions. But again he was listed as second-team in the fall. And when starter Drew Carter went down with a knee injury, Santonio Holmes stole Bam’s show.
Childress made a spectacular one-handed 30-yard catch in the 2004 spring game and nearly topped it with a devastating spin move to elude a defender on a 10-yard catch-and-run. Finally, in the fall he made some noise with 17 catches for 205 yards.
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I pay near zero attention to any spring game. Usually the weather is nice, fans are excited and happy, and no doubt some over react, it's the nature of fandom. The 2s and 3s get some snaps, the 1s maybe knock of a bit of dust, it's all good, I think. And maybe some dude in the stadium with a bag of cash is lurking.