The momentum behind a potential spring scrimmage between two Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams this April has come to a screeching halt.
Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders recently pitched joint practices between the Buffaloes and Syracuse leading up to the exhibition game.
“To have it competitive, playing against your own guys kind of gets monotonous,” Sanders said during a news conference last week. “You really can’t tell the level of your guys, because it’s the same old, same old — everybody kind of knows each other.”
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Syracuse coach Fran Brown eventually accepted the challenge from Sanders, but approval of a waiver from the NCAA’s FBS oversight committee was needed for the possible game to move forward.
On Friday, the committee ultimately decided to deny the waiver for a joint scrimmage. The decision comes amid a trend of college football programs across the country weighing the importance of traditional spring games.
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Some of the coaches who elected to cancel their respective spring games cited the risk of injury to the players. Others expressed concern over potential transfer defections.
The amount of runway remaining for a potential scrimmage appeared to be one of the NCAA’s sticking points. The spring practice schedule has already been mapped out for an overwhelming number of schools. Therefore, Colorado had a limited number of possible opponents.
A scrimmage could also provide a recruiting advantage for two participating schools, an opportunity other programs would not necessarily have.
Despite the name, image, and likeness (NIL) climate, the NCAA also expressed academic concerns.
Nebraska recently revealed plans to replace its traditional intra-squad scrimmage with skills competitions and 7-on-7 games in late April.
In a memo obtained by The Athletic, the committee is not completely closing the door on future scrimmages as plans are in place to address the topic in the future. “The committee agreed to discuss, during a future meeting, a concept that could permit joint practices,” the memo stated.
In recent days, other coaches have joined Sanders’ support for spring scrimmages. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy suggested a matchup with Oklahoma, while Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said he was in favor of a joint practice with teams in the region.
Colorado’s spring game is scheduled for April 19 in Boulder.
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