Tracking college football teams that dropped spring games in 2025

Change is the only constant in college football these days, and part of the sport's evolving offseason has found several teams canceling spring games in the NIL and transfer portal era.

James Parks | Apr 1, 2025

College football's offseason will look very different in 2025 and likely beyond, as teams look to forgo their spring games in the NIL and transfer portal era. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Change is the order of the day in college football, and the sport entering the NIL and transfer portal era appears to be chipping away at another annual tradition: the spring game.

Heading into the 2025 preseason, most teams are still planning on having an exhibition at their stadiums, but there’s a growing and notable list of programs saying thanks, but no thanks.

Part of it boils down to some schools playing much longer seasons after the expansion of the College Football Playoff, while for others it’s a matter of not providing other schools what is effectively a free tryout for their players in an age of immediate transfers.

“I hate to say this ... I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that,” Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said of his decision earlier this year.

He added: “To go out and bring in a bunch of new players and showcase them for all the other schools to watch, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

What college football teams have foregone their spring games so far this year?

Auburn

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has said that the annual A-Day spring football game will look more like a traditional practice, set for April 12 and open to the public at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Freeze also suggested that college football is building momentum to completely do away with the spring game event and indicated interest in an NFL-style organized team activities period in June.

Michigan State

Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith confirmed his program will not host the usual spring football game heading into the 2025 season.

Smith cited "multiple factors" that went into the decision, but he outlined wanting to "take advantage of all 15 of the spring practices, and I think this is the best way we can do it."

LSU

LSU announced it will host an open practice instead of a traditional spring football game, with fans able to attend on April 12 that will include autograph sessions for fans to meet with players.

The practice will take place at Tiger Stadium and will be free for fans to attend.

Oklahoma

Get ready for the “Crimson Combine,” a new football event Oklahoma has announced it will host instead of the traditional spring football game this year.

It’s still set for April 12, which was supposed to be the date of the spring game, but will instead find players and coaches taking part in combine drills and skills challenges while hosting fans on the field for autograph and photo opportunities.

West Virginia

Rich Rodriguez made one of the biggest waves on the college football coaching carousel in 2025 with his return to the Mountaineers, but we won't see his team on the field this spring.

Rich Rod announced that West Virginia is "not going to do a true scrimmage or game."

Nebraska

While the Cornhuskers won’t have a conventional spring football game, athletic director Troy Dannen said that the team would host an event for football fans on April 26.

Texas

Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed he won’t host a spring game, citing the long 2024 season, instead opting for an NFL-style organized team activities period, depriving fans a chance to see Arch Manning take QB1 reps on the field.

Missouri

The budding SEC power will not hold a spring football game in either 2025 or 2026 as the school begins renovations on its historic stadium.

NC State

Dave Doeren is keeping things classified this preseason, as the Wolfpack will hold all 15 of their spring football practices in a closed format. Hiring two new coordinators has something to do with it, in an effort to keep everything private until the season begins.

Florida State

Renovations at historic Doak Campbell Stadium is the big reason why the Seminoles won’t play a spring football game this year, but head coach Mike Norvell indicated that the sport is moving away from the exhibition model, so we could see FSU following suit in the future.

USC

Risk of injury was the big reason why the Trojans elected to now showcase its football team at the L.A. Coliseum this spring, according to ESPN, in addition to citing “more important uses for financial resources.”