Why Some College Football Teams Are Ditching Spring Games, But Not Clemson

Coach Dabo Swinney checks his notes during Clemson's Annual Orange & White Spring Game in 2024. (Photo By: Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

Spring football has been a key part of college programs for decades, offering teams a chance to evaluate talent, develop young players, and fine-tune schemes before the grind of fall camp. But in today’s era of the transfer portal and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness), some schools are starting to rethink their approach.

With fears of tampering, where outside programs attempt to poach players before the season, some teams are considering canceling their spring games altogether. The idea is that less exposure means fewer opportunities for other schools to swoop in and lure away talent.

Not Clemson, though. Dabo Swinney isn’t budging.

The Clemson Tigers will host its Spring Game on April 5, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. EST, giving fans a chance to see the Tigers in action well before the season kicks off.

Dabo Swinney on Why Clemson Won’t Cancel Spring Games

During yesterday's press conference, Swinney made it clear that Clemson Football will continue hosting spring games. To him, live reps and game situations are too valuable to sacrifice.

“Cancelling a spring game ain’t going to stop tampering. We’re going to need a lot more help than that to stop tampering.”

And he has a point. The transfer portal isn’t going anywhere. If a player is looking for a new home, they’ll find one whether or not they played in a spring game.

For Swinney, the real issue is player development.

Live Football Reps Matter

One of Swinney’s biggest concerns with canceling spring games is the lost opportunity for players to develop in real, game-like conditions.

“Cancelling spring games would limit some live work for guys that need the live football work. You don’t get better at football if you don’t play football.”

That’s about as simple as it gets. Young players, backups, and even veterans looking to improve need live action. There’s only so much you can simulate in practice and spring games offer the closest thing to real competition before the season kicks off.

Swinney also emphasized the importance of scrimmage opportunities, saying:

“Scrimmage opportunities are a chance to expose your guys and teach them in game situations.”

This is a huge point. Spring scrimmages aren’t just about execution, they’re about learning. It’s one thing to perform well in practice when a coach is standing behind you, making corrections on the fly. It’s another thing to make the right decisions in a full-speed, live game scenario with coaches on the sideline.

For young quarterbacks, new defensive players, and those battling for starting jobs, spring games offer irreplaceable experience. Coaches can see how players react under pressure, how they handle the pace of the game, and where they need to improve.

Could College Football See Preseason Games?

Swinney also brought up an interesting idea: preseason games in the fall.

“If you told me we could have two or three preseason games in the fall, I’d probably have a different approach to the spring.”

The NFL uses preseason games to evaluate talent before the regular season, giving teams a chance to fine-tune their rosters. If college football had a similar system, perhaps spring games wouldn’t be as necessary.

Until that happens, though, spring games remain one of the best ways for teams to simulate real-game situations. And Swinney isn’t willing to give that up.

The Bigger Picture in College Football

With transfer portal concerns growing, some teams are scaling back exposure to protect their rosters. Their thinking is that if their players aren’t on display, they’re less likely to be recruited by other programs.

But Swinney doesn’t believe the spring game is the problem. He believes the NCAA needs to step up and regulate the transfer process more effectively.

In the meantime, Clemson will continue doing what it has always done by holding spring games, giving players valuable reps, and preparing for the season the right way. While other programs may take a different approach, Swinney sees spring football as too important to eliminate.

Final Thoughts

The landscape of college football is shifting, and teams are adjusting in different ways. Some are retreating, trying to protect their players from the chaos of the transfer portal. Others, like Swinney, are focused on development, believing that the best way to get better at football is to actually play football.

At the end of the day, spring games give players a chance to grow, learn, and prove themselves. At Clemson, that isn’t changing anytime soon.