The landscape of college football has undergone drastic changes in recent years, with the rise of the transfer portal, NIL deals, and conference realignment leading to the end of many beloved traditions. As we approach 2025, two prominent programs have chosen to eliminate yet another longstanding custom: the spring game.
For years, spring games offered fans early insights into their favorite teams’ rosters. However, in recent days, both USC and Texas announced they would not host spring games this year. Instead, they will conduct spring practices behind closed doors. On Wednesday, Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reported that USC plans to hold “an event this spring that brings together former players,” along with a “fan appreciation event” in the summer.
Spring practices at USC will remain closed to the public.
But in lieu of not having a spring game, a source says, USC is planning to hold an event this spring that brings together former players, as well as a fan appreciation event with the team this summer.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) February 19, 2025
Meanwhile, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian announced on Up & Adams with Kay Adams that his team will also forgo a spring game. He explained that the new College Football Playoff format increases the potential number of games for his team, making this decision necessary. Sarkisian noted, “Over the last two years, we have played 30 games. That’s a lot for college football. We’ve had 25 guys invited to the NFL Combine in the last two years, and we have a lot of young players on the roster, including 21 mid-year high school kids that just arrived.”
He continued, “The development needed for these guys to prepare for the fall is different than it used to be. Our approach is going to be more NFL-driven, resembling an OTA style early on, transitioning to scrimmage formats in the latter part of spring ball. I just don’t know if rolling the ball out and playing the game with only 15 practices maximizes our opportunities. College football is changing, and we need to adapt as coaches for what’s best for our team.”
.@CoachSark announces that @TexasFootball won’t be having a Spring game this year 🚨@heykayadams | #HookEm pic.twitter.com/KzONTjxYiQ
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 20, 2025
As noted, the landscape of college football is evolving rapidly. Besides USC and Texas, Nebraska and Ohio State have also announced they will not hold spring games in 2025. One major reason for this shift could be the increasing number of games on the schedule. Additionally, the next NCAA Transfer Portal window runs from April 16 to 25, traditionally when spring games are held. This suggests that teams may be focusing on recruiting and making last-minute roster adjustments rather than hosting a spring game.
