Will DeShaun Foster, UCLA Schedule a Joint Spring Game?

Recently, Colorado coach Deion Sanders mentioned that he would like to have another program come down to Boulder in order to play against his Buffaloes in their spring game. Syracuse coach Fran Brown answered the call as the two programs work out the logistics behind such an endeavor, reportedly filing paperwork for such an event, per the Syracuse Post-Standard.

.@DeionSanders we will come to Boulder for 3 days 🎯🍊🙏🏾 https://t.co/RFkyveLPv1
— Fran Brown (@FranBrownCuse) March 17, 2025

Sanders recently spoke about this on ESPN.

“The Spring Game will be televised on ESPN2 … on the 19th,” he said. “We got to sell 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. I don’t believe in that.

"I don’t really want to condone that. I would like to play in the spring. Actually, I [would] like to play against another team in the spring. That’s what I’m trying to do right now.

“To have a competitive [game] against your own guys kind of gets monotonous. You really can’t tell the level of your guys because, you know, it’s the same old, same way. Everybody kind of know each other. Towards the end, 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, and I think the public will be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it’s a tremendous idea. I’ve told those personnel who should understand that it’s a tremendous idea.”

Scrimmaging against other opponents at the collegiate level is not normal in football. However, nothing is normal in college football anymore. It's clear that college football, at least its annual schedule, will emulate the NFL in multiple ways, so perhaps a "preseason" isn't a bad thing anymore.

In an era where spring games are being canceled left and right, this may be the thing that revitalizes the once-beloved tradition, and if UCLA embraces it early, there's a lot of opportunities on the table.

The most obvious answers for future scrimmaging opponents are San Diego State, UNLV, Fresno State or the programs in Northern California. If UCLA travels there, that gives DeShaun Foster and his staff an opportunity to visit recruits in the region, inviting them to the scrimmage.

While there is a danger that programs could take a joint spring game as an opportunity to persuade Bruin players to enter the portal, it also gives UCLA an advantage to scout players from G5 schools as well.

The move would give the program an opportunity to see how its players respond to live competition and new schemes, it would satisfy the desires of players wanting to compete, and it would give Foster and his staff a realistic evaluation of his team before the regular season. It's a massive benefit for the team.

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