Spring games were becoming all the rage because who’s going to turn down watching organized football in April?
And it’s not that they haven’t been televised before, but there seemed to be a resurgence in popularity as of late. Fox televised both Michigan and Ohio State’s respective spring games this past year to a lot of fanfare. And even though it’s a watered-down version of football — it’s still football.
The rosters compete against themselves, quarterbacks are off-limits and the rules can shift on a whim, depending on what the head coach wants to experiment with or focus on.
So, while the product might be unappealing, it does a lot to benefit college teams.
It also harms them greatly; we aren’t just talking about the injury risk.
Which is why Nebraska’s Matt Rhule is leaning toward canceling his team’s spring game altogether.
And while that might sound like an overreaction, you probably want to listen to Rhule’s reasoning before passing judgment.
“I don’t know that yet,” Rhule said of the spring game’s status, “but I’ll be honest with you, I highly doubt it. And I think it’s really fundamentally — I hate to say it like this — it’s really 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.”
Nebraska’s spring game was very well attended and aired on the Big Ten Network in 2024.
“So, to go out and bring in a bunch of new players and then showcase them for all the other schools to watch, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” Rhule explained. “The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore; it’s just absolute free open common market. And so, I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys and say, ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player; let’s go get him.'”
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule says he ‘highly doubts’ there will be a traditional spring game.
“The word tampering doesn’t exist anymore its just absolute free open common market…I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys.” #Huskers @KETV pic.twitter.com/lQsXHTgvUM
— Lauren Michelson (@LaurenMichelson) February 1, 2025
But Rhule doesn’t know yet.
“I don’t know anything,” he says. “I just thought it was important that we start to broach that subject of it not being televised. But at the same time, I do want to show off our players in some way. What exactly it’ll be, yet, I mean, I haven’t worried about anything other than recruiting right now — both the [transfer] portal and into the ’26 class. So, now, I have to turn my attention to all those things.”
Nebraska’s spring game last year was on April 27, 2024.
Six players entered the transfer portal the week after, including Chief Borders (Pitt), Corey Collier (Florida A&M), Jeff Sims (Arizona State) and Ru’Quan Buckley (Michigan State).
While a no-show for the fans might be disappointing, it’s easy to see why Rhule is so hesitant to put his team in the spotlight — again. That’s especially true considering the television coverage and easy access to the game, which makes his concern even more logical.
And with spring games becoming more accessible, it’s easier than ever for other schools to ‘scout’ players without stepping on the field. By showcasing any of its talents, Nebraska might inadvertently give rival schools a chance to pick off their players, something Rhule clearly wants to avoid.
