Texas could drop spring football game: report

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is considering eliminating the team's spring football game after playing such a long season.

Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas just played its longest football season ever, going through 16 games including the SEC Championship and a historic College Football Playoff run, and that long schedule could result in a major change for the program this spring.

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is contemplating eliminating his team’s spring football game this year, according to a report from 247Sports.

Sarkisian is concerned about keeping his team fresh and avoiding any unnecessary fatigue among his players as Texas mulls a “revamped spring football schedule.”

This isn’t the first we’ve heard about college football programs considering doing away with the spring football exhibitions in the transfer portal era.

Some coaches are concerned that they could be effectively giving other schools what amounts to a free try-out for players who could be poached away through the portal before the season begins.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has all but confirmed his intention to cancel the spring game in favor of a closed format, citing a concern about tampering from rivals.

“I hate to say it like this... because last year we were one of the more televised spring games, and I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that,” he said.

Rhule 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.”

Winter football workouts started at Texas recently, but the team has not announced its dates for the forthcoming 2025 spring practice.

And that’s despite considerable interest as Arch Manning is set to take over the starting quarterback position and with the Longhorns coming off an appearance in the SEC title game.

Manning used last year’s spring game to put his name back in the forefront of Texas fans’ minds, covering 355 yards passing and scoring 3 touchdowns in the exhibition.

Now, amid concerns about player durability and potential tampering in the portal era, Texas could join what appears to be a rising chorus of teams that are thinking of ending another one of college football’s traditions.

(247)

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