Steve Sarkisian confirms Texas will not hold spring game moving forward

The past few seasons have led to rapid changes in college athletics. That includes NIL and the transfer portal, which have reshaped how rosters are built and led to tampering at times. With that, coaches like Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns are considering the future of other events, like spring games.

Now, while speaking to Kay Adams, Sarkisian confirmed that the Longhorns are the latest to cancel their spring game.

“No we’re not going to have a spring game,” Steve Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian went on to explain that Texas is taking a slightly different approach to its offseason training program. He compared it to the NFL and OTAs, saying, “So it’s going to be a little bit different approach.”

Texas is far from the only team to take this approach. The USC Trojans already canceled their own spring game, amid a changing landscape in college athletics. The Trojans are hosting a fan appreciation event, instead. Spring practices in Los Angeles are remaining closed to the public. Then, Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule shared earlier in the offseason that they would consider not hosting a spring game over concerns about tampering. They eventually did cancel their spring game. Along with those schools, the Ohio State Buckeyes also previously changed the format of their spring game.

Tampering has been a major concern in the modern era of college athletics. With a transfer portal window opening up shortly after spring practice comes to an end, players who stand out in spring games could hypothetically draw attention from those outside the program. So, to avoid those players being tampered with, teams are moving away from playing those traditional games.

The move by Sarkisian to cancel the spring game isn’t an overly surprising one. He previously shared that he was considering making the change after the Longhorns had an extended run in the College Football Playoff last season, extending their season longer than usual.

“[Texas Longhorns] coach Steve Sarkisian, concerned about player wear-and-tear after a 16-game season in 2024, is considering a revamped spring football schedule that could include no spring game, sources tell @Horns247,” Chip Brown said via X.

The trend of skipping spring games continues to grow around college football. It’s another change in the sport that comes as a reaction to other changes in the sport. Now, it will be interesting to see if any other teams decide to make a similar decision this spring.