Well, well, well. Look what’s popped up on the radar: the American Football Coaches Association is going to discuss spring football between programs.
“Based upon the buzz about this within the profession the last couple of months, I’m sure we’ll be talking about this when we meet,” AFCA president and Harvard coach Tim Murphy told The Associated Press. “I think the NFL model would be a good way to do it, going through drills with another team. If you wanted to hold a scrimmage, you could do it, but it would just be more complex.
“It wouldn’t be unprecedented, though, because other college sports do it.”
There will be a debate, of course. It’ll be pitched around development (“You can really focus on trying to develop unknowns in your players, which I think is really important,” Saban said. “I think that’s the real value of spring practice.” ) versus competition. But David Cutcliffe may have hit on the deciding factor.
“That’s an old idea, that’s a good idea, but that’s very difficult to get the NCAA to move in those regards,” Cutcliffe said. “Your best chance is if you can prove you can make some money because then you have a chance for the presidents and the ADs to vote in favor of it.”
Hmm… making money. That’s always been such an easy thing for the NCAA to ignore.
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Practice with another school? Well, OK. Scrimmage in a game? Hell no. Fall scrimmage is what counts and that will have it’s injuries. Playing half-speed would have no benefits. Where is the upside?
Make it count if you if you play another school. Put’em on the OOC schedule. “Scrimmage” with Buffalo. Play Clemson outright.
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Money money money it’s all about the money. Can you get 96,000 fans to show up and pay for a “Scrimmage”, hell we are doing that 3 times this fall.
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+1
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bingo!
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4 times, when you count Georgia Tech.
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I have never understood the injury concern. It is just as likely to happen in a scrimmage between our own plyers as with others. Make no mistake, there will always be a injury chance, it is football folks, it is what they do. As 69Dawg notes, we can lose a key player against minor teams like Buffalo, Ga Tech, etc., yet we still play them. Speaking of GT, that would be a good way to handle getting them off our regular season schedule, play them in the spring and free up a spot for a more exciting opponent.
I really like the idea of playing a Clemson, FSU, GT, type team and giving all our players a chance to get used to game time atmosphere, excitement, and adjust to schemes they haven’t seen every day. Great opportunity for RS players, and back-ups to show what they can do. I would let coaches play the #1’s in the 1st half and backups in the 2nd. Give all the gate receipts to 2-3 charities, and pump up the local economy of the host team (that last was for you Mayor since, thankfully, we aren’t abandoning JAX any time soon.
Just a great idea, even if it did start with Little Tummy Bowden. I see no downside for schools located within close proximity to one another. Could be a problem for some of the Western schools with higher travel expenses.
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If you don’t get a recorded game and you lose players, where is the upside? What are we getting out of it as a team? A Spring Scrimmage Game trophy? Don’t think so. You don’t get as many people on the field as when you play yourself and is it worth loss of experience? Both teams will be playing to win for bragging rights to a scrimmage game? I hope not. It won’t be played like a recorded game on either side, if it is, there won’t be many substitutions. Where’s the info you would get from that?
That’s twice now stated that fear of injury is my reason not to play. That is not true. It’s fear of injury for no good upside reason resulting in foolish exposure when unnecessary. That’s the point. You have me on here chiding people in the past about fear of injury when it came to our own scrimmages. That is a necessary risk. Scrimmaging another outside team is an unnecessary risk.
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I remember paying $10 for some Spring Games. With half in attendance, you would net the same amount as a stadium filled and two payouts if it’s the money we are after. We don’t need no stinkin’ exibition games.
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We all have opinions; we are light years away from each other on this.on this one. I have zero understanding of that way of thinking, but respect your right to feel that way. As a CFB fan, I say bring it all on….and that isn’t about the money, just the love of the game.
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I’m with you on the competition, but don’t want to love them to injury.
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Maybe Spurrier can put up a stadium banner and pass out rings next year for his “Spring Game Champions”.
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