Dabo Swinney promotes idea NCAA should allow preseason game to maximize product

Dabo Swinney went back on the promotion train, saying that college football teams should be able to scrimmage each other in the spring. Basically, adopt the NFL preseason model in the spring session to maximize the college football product.

He’s been for the idea for years, trying to do it at Clemson. Colorado coach Deion Sanders made headlines when he said he wanted to do it, promptly getting Syracuse head coach Fran Brown to agree.

However, that idea was shot down by the NCAA, leading to more questions. Swinney said it doesn’t make sense to not allow scrimmages against other teams.

“I think y’all can probably rewind every spring practice for the past 12 years and I think I’ve said that for years and years and years,” Swinney said. “I mean, you know, I’ve said that forever … I mean, from pee wee league, to middle school to high school, we are the only level of football, to the NFL, and we don’t get to practice against anybody. We can’t scrimmage anybody. I’ve never understood that. And so as a head coach, you know, anytime somebody grabs an ankle, all 22 of them on the field are your guys, right? It’d be nice to only be 50% invested, you know? It just is what it is.” 

Swinney also pointed out football is behind the eight-ball among college athletics, at least in that regard. Like Sanders, count Swinney among those who want this change as soon as possible.

“They need to be able to go and get comfortable going against each other, you know, you have a practice,” Swinney said. “You control it. You can do some one on ones. some pass rush, inside, 7-on-7. You know, there’s a lot of things you can do, situational work I’ve never understood. In fact, we’re the only sport in college that can’t do it. 

“Baseball plays people, soccer plays people. Basketball scrimmaged Georgia. I don’t know, who knows? I don’t know why we do half the stuff we do, but that’s kind of crazy. Maybe one day.”

Here are Sanders’ original comments earlier this month. This argument is basically what Swinney’s been talking about.

“The Spring Game will be televised on ESPN2 … on the 19th,” Sanders said. “We got to sell this thing out and pack this thing because the way the trend is going, you never know if this is going to be the last spring game. I don’t believe in that. I don’t really want to condone that. I would like to play in the spring. Actually, I (would) like to play against another team in the spring. That’s what I’m trying to do right now. 

“To have a competitive (game) against your own guys kind of gets monotonous. You really can’t tell the level of your guys because, you know, it’s the same old, same way. Everybody kind of know each other. Towards the end, I would like to style it like the pros. I would like to practice against someone for a few days, then you have the spring game and I think the public will be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it’s a tremendous idea. I’ve told those personnel who should understand that it’s a tremendous idea.”