The future of spring games

[Professor Chaos]

Spring games at the big schools aren't going away anytime soon given the fact that at places like Nebraska they pack in 80,000+ people to watch but this year NDSU announced there would be no spring game for the first time that I can recall for a non-flood related reason. The impetus behind this is they've got 18 players either not participating or limited for spring ball due to injury so putting together 2 teams is pretty much impossible without any of the incoming freshmen. For the last few years NDSU has gone to a purely offense vs defense "game" where the defense gets points for things like sacks, TFLs, turnovers, 3 and outs, etc instead of having two full squads. NDSU has actually drawn over 5,000 fans now for several years (all speculative because there is no gate admission for spring games here) and even had it broadcast on statewide television.

At his press conference yesterday NDSU head coach Chris Klieman said he's heard plenty of chatter from other coaches about how spring games may be going the way of the dodo. Additionally he speculated that the NCAA may start limiting the number of contact practices that can happen in the spring as well.

I know Youngstown St didn't have a spring game for the last 2 years and now NDSU will not have one this year (although they will have a public "practice" or exhibition of sorts on Friday 4/20 to give fans a look at the young guys). Any other FCS schools out there who may be going or have gone away from a tradition spring game? What are your thoughts as a fan on the value or lack thereof for these games?

[ASU33]

Our Spring game is a HUGE event. Its one of the bigger events that we have on campus all year. Hornet Fest/Spring Fest is what we call that Week and Saturday. Basically on that day our entire campus becomes a tailgate, concert, vendor selling area. We have a concert stage set up and we have different acts performing all day. It starts that morning at 11 with local groups but by the evening you get the bigger names such 2 Chains, Bel Bid Devoe, John Legend and others in the past. In the past few years Hornet fest has been hosted by Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey, Ced The Entertainer, and this year it'll be hosted by Chadwick Boseman. Our Spring games usually kicks at one and people pay for tickets to get on campus for the events and there's no separate charge for the game. We get about 40,000 people on campus for Hornet Fest and about 10,000 or so of those people will venture into the stadium to see the Spring game. In the past the concerts would continue during the Spring game but that has stopped the last 5 years or so which has resulted in a larger attendance for the actual spring game. Also having the celebrity coaches helped bring more attention to the spring game. Because how big of a success we have I don't see our spring game going anywhere. It gives the fans a chance to see the team early, and it gives the coaches a chance to see how the kids react in a game type atmosphere.

[Professor Chaos]

Our Spring game is a HUGE event. Its one of the bigger events that we have on campus all year. Hornet Fest/Spring Fest is what we call that Week and Saturday. Basically on that day our entire campus becomes a tailgate, concert, vendor selling area. We have a concert stage set up and we have different acts performing all day. It starts that morning at 11 with local groups but by the evening you get the bigger names such 2 Chains, Bel Bid Devoe, John Legend and others in the past. In the past few years Hornet fest has been hosted by Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey, Ced The Entertainer, and this year it'll be hosted by Chadwick Boseman. Our Spring games usually kicks at one and people pay for tickets to get on campus for the events and there's no separate charge for the game. We get about 40,000 people on campus for Hornet Fest and about 10,000 or so of those people will venture into the stadium to see the Spring game. In the past the concerts would continue during the Spring game but that has stopped the last 5 years or so which has resulted in a larger attendance for the actual spring game. Also having the celebrity coaches helped bring more attention to the spring game. Because how big of a success we have I don't see our spring game going anywhere. It gives the fans a chance to see the team early, and it gives the coaches a chance to see how the kids react in a game type atmosphere.
That sounds spectacular! I think at most places the spring game has evolved into more of a fan activity than anything beneficial for the team. It's probably one of the main reasons why in places where it's not nearly as big of a deal/event it may be starting to go away.

I always loved getting that spring tailgate in when the weather is just starting to get tolerable enough up here for extended periods outside that don't involve parkas or heaters (or both!). I'd love to see NDSU embrace it as a fan day the way ASU has done. I doubt it would ever get to that level but having live music in the tailgate lot, food vendors, etc would be pretty cool. We have a Rib Fest up here in the Fargodome parking lot every year in early June so they could even utilize the same equipment for that (minus the traveling BBQ shacks of course).

Alas, anything involving that dirty "A word" and a university sponsored event up here will no doubt be met with plenty of opposition so I doubt it would ever happen. Maybe I'll just need to come down to Hornet fest instead, haha!

[PaladinFan]

No real opinion, but it seems that if you concede that "playing" a football scrimmage is too much risk and too much contact, you sort of concede that the game itself is too dangerous.

Furman jumped right on spring practice and finished before the end of February. Granted the spring game at FU has never been much of a can't miss event, but the coaching staff simply drafted the two different squads, which I thought was a little different. Gave more guys playing time I imagine than just playing starters against one another.

[ASU33]

That sounds spectacular! I think at most places the spring game has evolved into more of a fan activity than anything beneficial for the team. It's probably one of the main reasons why in places where it's not nearly as big of a deal/event it may be starting to go away.


Alas, anything involving that dirty "A word" and a university sponsored event up here will no doubt be met with plenty of opposition so I doubt it would ever happen. Maybe I'll just need to come down to Hornet fest instead, haha!

Spring fest is a alcohol free event *wink wink*, even though the main stage is the Coors Lite Stage. No alcohol is sold but the Coors flows freely in the suites and of course everyone has coolers full of the "a word".

[clenz]

UNI didn't have one last year due to something like 25 surgeries post season ending and having like 4 OL healthy during spring ball.

There will be one this year but the spring games at UNI are almost always modified and not actual games. It's not 1s vs 2s. It's been split with the roster almost completely mixed up.

[Bisonator]

IMO it's kind of a missed opportunity for the school. I mean NDSU could certainly make some coin by putting on something, even a glorified scrimmage. You can't tell me they don't have enough healthy bodies with 50 underclassmen on the roster. People want to get out of the house in the spring and enjoy themselves. Open up the tailgate lots, get the NDSU meat folks out there to put on a clinic, set up the bookstore and sell some merchandise. I think some of the entrenched big wigs in Teammakers are getting a little lazy.

[Thumper 76]

Our Spring game is a HUGE event. Its one of the bigger events that we have on campus all year. Hornet Fest/Spring Fest is what we call that Week and Saturday. Basically on that day our entire campus becomes a tailgate, concert, vendor selling area. We have a concert stage set up and we have different acts performing all day. It starts that morning at 11 with local groups but by the evening you get the bigger names such 2 Chains, Bel Bid Devoe, John Legend and others in the past. In the past few years Hornet fest has been hosted by Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey, Ced The Entertainer, and this year it'll be hosted by Chadwick Boseman. Our Spring games usually kicks at one and people pay for tickets to get on campus for the events and there's no separate charge for the game. We get about 40,000 people on campus for Hornet Fest and about 10,000 or so of those people will venture into the stadium to see the Spring game. In the past the concerts would continue during the Spring game but that has stopped the last 5 years or so which has resulted in a larger attendance for the actual spring game. Also having the celebrity coaches helped bring more attention to the spring game. Because how big of a success we have I don't see our spring game going anywhere. It gives the fans a chance to see the team early, and it gives the coaches a chance to see how the kids react in a game type atmosphere.

This sounds badass as hell xbowx


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[ASU33]

This sounds badass as hell xbowx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It is. Here are a few pics from years past

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27286&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27287&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27288&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27289&stc=1

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This sounds badass as hell xbowx


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It is. Here are a few pics from years past

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27286&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27287&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27288&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27289&stc=1

[ASU33]

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27290&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27291&stc=1

[Bisonoline]

IMO it's kind of a missed opportunity for the school. I mean NDSU could certainly make some coin by putting on something, even a glorified scrimmage. You can't tell me they don't have enough healthy bodies with 50 underclassmen on the roster. People want to get out of the house in the spring and enjoy themselves. Open up the tailgate lots, get the NDSU meat folks out there to put on a clinic, set up the bookstore and sell some merchandise. I think some of the entrenched big wigs in Teammakers are getting a little lazy.

Teammakes has nothing to do with whether a spring game will be played or not.

[TheKingpin28]

It is. Here are a few pics from years past

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27286&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27287&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27288&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27289&stc=1

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It is. Here are a few pics from years past

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27286&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27287&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27288&stc=1http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27289&stc=1Damn, now I have to get down there for that. Count me in for some solid Q and decent weather any day of the week. As long as the "A word" is looked the other way. xlolx

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[McNeese72]

No Spring Game for the Cowboys this year. We don't have enough offensive linemen for two teams. :(

Doc

[Professor Chaos]

No real opinion, but it seems that if you concede that "playing" a football scrimmage is too much risk and too much contact, you sort of concede that the game itself is too dangerous.

Furman jumped right on spring practice and finished before the end of February. Granted the spring game at FU has never been much of a can't miss event, but the coaching staff simply drafted the two different squads, which I thought was a little different. Gave more guys playing time I imagine than just playing starters against one another.
I don't know if it's the injury risk that caused NDSU to not do a spring game this year as much as it's become a wasted practice for them in the coach's eyes. The guys being held out are due to injuries from the regular season. Playing 14-16 games every year for the last 8 will do that. It's a good problem to have but I think that's why the coaches pushed to discontinue the spring game. The young guys will get plenty of contact in this spring at NDSU but even the healthy older guys will probably be taking it easy.

Klieman's comments about the NCAA limiting contact in spring practices didn't sound like him lobbying for anything as much as it sounded like an acknowledgement of that's the trend in practice regulation by the NCAA so it'll likely be a reality fairly soon.

[POD Knows]

I don't know if it's the injury risk that caused NDSU to not do a spring game this year as much as it's become a wasted practice for them in the coach's eyes. The guys being held out are due to injuries from the regular season. Playing 14-16 games every year for the last 8 will do that. It's a good problem to have but I think that's why the coaches pushed to discontinue the spring game. The young guys will get plenty of contact in this spring at NDSU but even the healthy older guys will probably be taking it easy.

Klieman's comments about the NCAA limiting contact in spring practices didn't sound like him lobbying for anything as much as it sounded like an acknowledgement of that's the trend in practice regulation by the NCAA so it'll likely be a reality fairly soon.I am confused, I thought a date and time had been announced for the Spring game, it is on a Friday night at 6:30, am I missing something here.

[AmsterBison]

I am confused, I thought a date and time had been announced for the Spring game, it is on a Friday night at 6:30, am I missing something here.

In his press conference, Coach K said "no spring game this year" - it's going to be "situational football" drills with limited tackling.

According to the coach, there aren't enough healthy DTs, TEs, or WRs to have two teams working at once during practices like they want (of course, he was exaggerating a bit) but with the graduated seniors and the 18 guys sitting out of spring ball, they are really low on numbers at some positions.

[ASU33]

No Spring Game for the Cowboys this year. We don't have enough offensive linemen for two teams. :(

Doc

We had a few years just like that. We did offense vs. defense style scrimmages during those years instead of a black vs gold style game type scrimmage.

[POD Knows]

http://gobison.com/news/2018/3/19/bison-football-youth-day-and-spring-game-events-scheduled.aspx

Here is info for the Bison spring game

Friday, April 20
12:00 p.m. - Locker Room Sale opens
4:00-8:00 p.m. – Bison Tailgate Expo (east concourse of Fargodome)
4:30-5:15 p.m. – Bison Football Youth Day registration (east lobby of Fargodome)
5:15-6:15 p.m. – Bison Football Youth Day
6:15 p.m. – National Championship Ring Ceremony
6:30 p.m. – Green and Gold Spring Game
7:30 p.m. – Fifth Quarter open (second floor of Fargodome)
8:15 p.m. – Fifth Quarter program with head coach Chris Klieman (http://gobison.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1101)

[Redbird 4th & short]

In his press conference, Coach K said "no spring game this year" - it's going to be "situational football" drills with limited tackling.

According to the coach, there aren't enough healthy DTs, TEs, or WRs to have two teams working at once during practices like they want (of course, he was exaggerating a bit) but with the graduated seniors and the 18 guys sitting out of spring ball, they are really low on numbers at some positions.

ISUr Spack has been doing same for several years .. situational scrimmaging in front of fans. There is no purpose served in having a intrasquad game where you keep score. You can still keep stats and they do, but what does the score matter. Besides, you just don't want players playing as if the scoreboard really matters .. and possibly getting injured. They all already know full well how to play when the score matters.