Lincoln Riley explains decision to cancel the USC spring game
College football programs across the country have announced plans to cancel or heavily modify their traditional spring games. The USC Trojans are one of those programs as Lincoln Riley’s squad won’t make any of their 15 spring ball practices open to the public this year.
USC does plan to hold a fan appreciation event during fall camp in addition to the annual Salute to Troy event. But Trojan fans will need to wait until then to see the team in person. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule specifically mentioned the transfer portal as a reason not to hold a spring game. A few programs aren’t holding them because of contruction at their stadiums. Riley’s thinking falls in line with Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith, who said, “There was multiple factors in not having a spring game but we really want to take advantage of all 15 of the spring practices and I think this is the best way we can do it.”
Riley also sees the spring game as taking away from what his USC team can accomplish in those 15 practices.
“The negative to the spring game is now these get broadcast all over the place, so nobody wants to do anything schematically that they’re going to do,” Riley said. “And so you end up spending a day or two days just to get ready for the spring game, and then a spring game where you’re going to be limited on what all you can do. And to us, it was like, as opposed to having to prep and do that and dedicate practices out of our 15 to it, we felt like we could just continue to progress and not have to maybe worry about that a little bit. And we thought it would be best for our football team.”
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Shedeur Sanders
Not selected in NFL Draft 1st round
- 2New
Picks by conference
SEC, Big Ten dominate NFL Draft
- 3
Joel Klatt calls out
'Trash' Shedeur Sanders narrative
- 4
10 Best Available Players
After NFL Draft 1st Round
- 5Hot
ESPN roasted
For Shedeur Sanders empty couch
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Riley shook off any concerns about the transfer portal being an issue, saying he doesn’t “put that much stock into that.”
He did say he understands the spring game “is for the fans and the spring game is for a chance to get guys out in front of a stadium.” And that’s why the Trojans will work to still get something done for the fans.
“We’re still going to do some things that create the experience for our fans because obviously creating that interaction is important,” Riley said. “The atmospheres here at the Coliseum the last several years have elevated in a lot of ways, but we get that that’s got to continue to grow. And so we want to continue to have that interaction with our fans, but we also want to do what’s best for our football team.”
USC’s spring practice is scheduled to run through April 26.
