CFB Fans Say the “NCAA is a Joke” For Denying the Spring Game Between Colorado and Syracuse

If you were looking forward to Colorado and Syracuse’s NFL-style Spring game, we’ve got some bad news for you. It ain’t gonna happen. The NCAA, in no uncertain terms, put a stop to the spring game fantasies, naturally sparking outrage among those who were really looking forward to it.

“I would actually like to play the spring game against another team,” Deion Sanders had said last week. The idea was simple: “I would like to style it like the pros. I’d like to go against someone [in practice] for a few days, and then you have the spring game,” Sanders had explained.

And Syracuse answered the call. Head coach Fran Brown was game. But the NCAA wasn’t. The NCAA’s FBS oversight committee denied the waiver request filed by Colorado and Syracuse’s football programs proposing a joint 11-on-11 spring scrimmage game. The committee cited the timing of the request, explaining that “most institutions have already planned their spring practice periods and some are at the end of, or have completed, their spring practice period.”

Furthermore, there was the question of the “potential academic impact associated with student athletes missing class time to participate in spring activities.” Despite the committee’s attempts at explaining its position, fans who already had their hearts set on watching the spring game as proposed by Sanders were not very happy. “NCAA is such a joke, why does it even still exist,” one such disgruntled fan noted.

“Huge L for the NCAA,” another said.

One fan was of the idea that the NCAA shouldn’t even have been involved in the decision.

But there’s still good news. The NCAA has not completely shut down the idea. The committee agreed to further discussions in a future meeting, which could ultimately lead to joint spring practices in the future.

Although the request was denied this time, it seems that a joint spring practice between two programs may soon become a reality in college football.

Simulated games against current opponents, as the culmination of spring practice, could significantly benefit college football, especially as traditional spring games lose relevance. The primary goal of spring practice is to evaluate rosters before the second transfer window and fall camp, where the focus shifts toward preparing for the season.

Facing another opponent could provide a more accurate measure of progress. Coaches will be able to better evaluate their team’s performance against unfamiliar schemes and personnel, offering insights that intrasquad matchups cannot. This setup also allows newer players, such as true freshmen, to gain valuable experience in a simulated game setting, accelerating their development. And yes, it would make for a better viewing experience for the fans, and make for less boring practice sessions for teams.

“To have a competitive [game] against your own guys gets kind of monotonous. You really can’t tell the level of your guys because it’s the same old, same way,” as Sanders correctly pointed out.