The Gophers play their annual Intrasquad Spring Football Game tomorrow at TCF Bank Stadium beginning at 2:30 p.m. Fans might wonder how many more games will be played in future years because there’s a growing awareness about preventing football injuries in college and on other levels, amateur and professional.
Minnesota coach Jerry Kill is concerned and suggests elimination of spring games at Minnesota and elsewhere is a way of reducing injuries. “In the future I don’t think you’re going to see spring games,” Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program last Sunday.
Intrasquad spring games count as one of 15 NCAA approved spring practices for major college programs. Rather than devote time to entertaining fans with a game, some coaches insist there is a better way to get teams ready for next fall’s schedule of nonconference and league games. The University of Pittsburgh, for example, cancelled its spring game for 2014 because head coach Paul Chryst wanted to maximize practice time.
A few other programs reportedly are not staging spring games this year. Among them is Texas A&M, a school that cancelled the game because of stadium renovations. The cancellation didn’t bother head coach Kevin Sumlin who downplayed the value of the annual spring game, describing the event as a “glorified scrimmage,” according to a March 4 story by Zac Ellis on College-football.si.com.
The elimination of spring games may develop into a real trend but it’s probably going to be slow in coming. Passionate fan bases at powerhouse schools like Ohio State wouldn’t be happy to see the spring game go away.
Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer told Doug Lesmerises in a March 19 story for Cleveland.com that he plans to keep the spring game indefinitely. “I just think it’s priceless for a player to get a rep in front of 50, 60, 70,000 (people),” Meyer said. “If I was at a school where you get 400 people (you might do away with it) because what are you really getting.”
Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover sees the advantages and disadvantages of spring games including the issues of having enough healthy players and how to divide them into competitive teams.
“I enjoy it (the spring game). I think it’s good for the fans,” he told Sports Headliners. “I think in our situation it’s good to continue to build support, build enthusiasm. Kind of (create) a buzz around the program but at the same time it does have its challenges.”
Labeled as the spring game, the Gophers’ event tomorrow will be more of a scrimmage. Punt and kickoff returns, for example, aren’t expected to be part of the action. The scrimmage will start at 2:30 p.m. and probably end about 90 minutes later, much shorter than a game.
Back in the 1950s the Gophers had a special spring show delighting fans, while the coaches may have gobbled Maalox. Head coach Murray Warmath sent his team out to play the annual game against an alumni group that included Gophers legends liked Bronko Nagurski and Leo “The Lion” Nomellini.
The grizzled and out of shape alums used their wisdom and skills to give Warmath’s young men all they could handle. Truth was the Gophers sometimes looked bad against the alumni team.
Warmath devoted part of spring practice to preparing for the alumni game, minimizing the time he and his staff could use for teaching. He disliked the game and was delighted when the alumni series ended after a few years.
Tomorrow a Gophers alumni flag football game will be played starting at 1 p.m. The two teams will be captained by former All-Big Ten players Tyrone Carter and Ron Johnson.
BTN2Go will provide live coverage of the intrasquad game. The Big Ten Network will show a replay starting at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Following the intrasquad game players will sign autographs on the field. Admission to the game is free.