Clemson's Dabo Swinney says NCAA should allow competitive spring games

After the NCAA turned down Deion Sanders' idea to host a competitive spring football practice and exhibition game, Clemson's head coach came out to endorse the idea.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during Spring Practice in Clemson, S.C. Monday, March 24, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Deion Sanders’ idea to host a competitive spring scrimmage and exhibition hit a wall when the NCAA denied a waiver to Colorado and Syracuse to meet up this preseason, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is still a strong believer that it needs to happen eventually.

“I think y’all can probably rewind every spring practice for the past 12 years and I think I’ve said that for years and years and years,” Swinney told reporters.

“I mean, you know, I’ve said that forever … I mean, from pee wee league, to middle school to high school, we are the only level of football, to the NFL, and we don’t get to practice against anybody. We can’t scrimmage anybody. I’ve never understood that.

“And so as a head coach, you know, anytime somebody grabs an ankle, all 22 of them on the field are your guys, right? It’d be nice to only be 50 percent invested, you know? It just is what it is.” 

Swinney has also come out in defense of the spring football game itself, noting that other coaches’ concerns around possible tampering aren’t good enough reasons to do away with the format.

And he wants to take it further, by introducing an element of competition to it.

“They need to be able to go and get comfortable going against each other, you know, you have a practice,” Swinney said. 

“You control it. You can do some one on ones. some pass rush, inside, 7-on-7. You know, there’s a lot of things you can do, situational work. I’ve never understood [why we don’t do it]. In fact, we’re the only sport in college that can’t do it.

“Baseball plays people, soccer plays people. Basketball scrimmaged Georgia. I don’t know, who knows? I don’t know why we do half the stuff we do, but that’s kind of crazy. Maybe one day.”

(Swinney)

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