Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is making a shift in how his team will approach spring football. In fact, just like others from around the country, DeBoer’s spring practices are set to see a near-complete overhaul from year’s past.
A-Day Will Only be an ‘Hour-and-a-Half’ Practice
This year’s A-Day will be a shortened practice, limited to about 90 minutes, instead of the traditional full scrimmage. The session will begin at 12 p.m. CT on April 12 and will not be televised.
“We will have more of a practice, a full practice like we would have any day,” DeBoer said after Alabama’s first spring scrimmage Thursday. “And again, it allows us, as I referred to earlier, to have a controlled setting, to control just the reps that certain guys get. We understand the significance and love. Everyone loves football here. So we want to make that day available, show off our guys and our guys go do their thing.”
Despite the different format, fans will still get an up-close look at the Crimson Tide. DeBoer emphasized the importance of involving the crowd, saying he wants “our guys to get in front of fans.”
Spring Game Format Debate Continues
Alabama isn’t the only program reevaluating spring traditions.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders made headlines recently with his suggestion that teams should scrimmage against each other during spring football. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown responded by offering to bring his team to Boulder for a joint practice.
The idea mirrors how NFL teams hold joint practices during training camp, but current NCAA rules do not permit this, so programs stick to intra-squad spring games.
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Yet, DeBoer doesn’t plan to follow Sanders’ model this year but left the door open for future changes.
“This year, I definitely wouldn’t want to have that type of scrimmage,” he said. “I think every program can do what they want, and to me, it’s about us making ourselves better.”
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