Steve Sarkisian Details Exactly Why Texas Longhorns Won't Host Spring Game

Spring football will officially be underway for the Texas Longhorns on Tuesday, March 25, yet fans won't be able to catch a glimpse of the fresh squad in action until August.

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and head coach Steve Sarkisian announced last month that the team has eliminated this year's spring game showcase and replaced it with a Fan Appreciation Day set for Saturday, April 26.

As conversations continue to erupt about the decision and the ultimate reason behind it, Sarkisian met with the media on Monday and addressed the situation.

"I think one thing is important, that there's a little bit of a misnomer of why we're not having a spring game," Sarkisian said. "We're not not having a spring game so people don't tamper with our players. They could go out and catch five touchdowns on that Saturday, they couldn't go in the portal anyway. That's not the premise of what we're doing. People are going to tamper with our players, whether we like it or not. That's fine."

The the spring window of the college football transfer portal opens on April 16 and closes on April 25, making Texas' would-have-been spring game on April 26 seem like a chance to hinder any outside influence to the roster.

But Sarkisian said what he's most concerned about is the athletes that have already solidified their commitment within the team.

"We're not having a spring game because I got 27 new faces on my roster that I need to take time to develop," Sarkisian said. "That development starts at the beginning of spring ball, where we've got to really build a foundation of understanding the whys of what we do, from how we practice to the drills that we do, to the foundational aspects of the offense, the defense, the special teams, of where we build and then where we grow from there."

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (QB04) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Longhorns saw 14 players from last season depart for the 2025 NFL Draft and at least 10 more transfer during the winter cycle. But Sarkisian worked overtime in compiling the No. 1-rated 2025 recruiting class in the nation and will additionally welcome five transfers, leaving him to rebuild a culture defined by the veterans of his four-year tenure.

Having an extended time period to prepare can only provide more benefits to those freshly exposed to the Texas standard, who can now expect to see the field sooner than later, according to Sarkisian.

"I'm a firm believer in we almost have to play every guy on our team those first four games, because you just don't know," Sarkisian said. "Come game 15, 16, maybe game 17, if a guy is nicked up and a guy's getting counted on that that he needs to be ready to play. I mean, I look at Trevor Goosby in the situations he got thrust into late in that season where he was blocking [Texas] A&M's front, he was blocking Georgia's front, he was blocking Clemson's front, Arizona State's front, and all of a sudden, you know, did we give him enough experience early in the year to get ready for that?"

While some returning faces won't be able to fully participate in spring training due to injury recovery, the rest of the team looks to continue the work they started in winter conditioning, highlighted with posts on the program's social media.

Texas' Fan Appreciation Day will be held at Darrell K Royal Texas-Memorial Stadium to preview the team ahead of its official 2025 season debut on August 31 versus the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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