Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian announced the cancellation of the program’s 2025 spring game. Is this the new trend in college football?
Why Did Texas Cancel Their Spring Game?
On Feb. 20, Sarkisian announced that his program would not play a spring game. During his interview on the “Up and Adams” show, Sarkisian announced that UT would only use spring practices going forward.
.@CoachSark announces that @TexasFootball won’t be having a Spring game this year 🚨@heykayadams | #HookEm pic.twitter.com/KzONTjxYiQ
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 20, 2025
While he tried to laugh off the significance, the video shows Sarkisian appearing rather uncomfortable and looking for reason. While he offered a fatigue explanation, the issues feel like they reside deeper than elite football athletes feeling too tired to compete in the exhibition.
In the clearest terms, Sarkisian made his point for the world to hear, stating:
“No, we’re not going to have a spring game. Well, I think a couple reasons why. Over the last two years, we’ve played thirty games. And that’s a lot for college football. Fourteen, two years ago. Sixteen this year. And I just mentioned that we’ve had 25 guys invited to the NFL Combine the last two years.”
Sarkisian continued his rather elongated conversation regarding his decision, stating:
“So, we’ve got a lot of young players on our roster. We have 21 mid-year high school kids that just showed up, the development that’s needed for these guys to get ready for the fall is a little different than it used to be. Our approach is going to be a little more NFL-driven. Kind of an OTA style early on… I just don’t know, rolling the ball out, playing the game when we get 15 practices is the best for us.”
In his defense, the Texas head coach makes perfect sense. Texas, by virtue of stellar postseasons, logged two-and-a-half dozen games. As a result, that tires out athletes, providing them with little to no respite from the perpetual grind. How can a team get ready when NCAA rules dictate just 15 practices?
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Now, Sarkisian will use that time to evaluate what he has in regard to talent and how he schemes for them. As a coach, Sarkisian resides well within his right as head coach to guide the program in a way he sees fit.
Whether you believe in the concept of body language or not, the video revealed a few tells. First, the small laugh tips the listener off to the fact that Sarkisian remains rather nervous about the cancellation.
Now, issues remain with the reasoning. The Texas head coach provided a laundry list of reasons for the cancellation, jumping from one to the next to build a wall of answers in case someone grills him about it later.
Thirty games in the last two years would hold water if the next sentence didn’t cite 25 players headed to the Combine during the same timeframe. Plus, the portal saw Texas gain and lose players — the same team that took the field in the last two season does not exist now. Over-explanation could conceal the real issue.
In this high-money era of college athletics, teams will do everything they can to keep their roster together and away from the prying eyes of others. In other words, Texas and Sarkisian, like just about every modern coach, fear tampering. Large cash contracts attempting to lure players off campus remain an issue.
What better way to eliminate an avenue of communication than eliminate a public exhibition that will make its way to TV? Donors view spring games as being like shopping at the grocery store. The tenet of ABC (Always Be [Re]Crootin’) lives stronger than ever.
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Last year, an estimated 40 thousand fans watch the Texas Spring game. The athletic department would rather forfeit the windfall on that day, in order to keep players in Austin. From a fan sense, many will feel robbed of an opportunity to see the new players from their team. Meanwhile from a business aspect, Texas may not have to re-recruit players, raising their previous deal.
Lastly, from a competition viewpoint, not tipping your hand to opponents makes the most sense. In essence, Sarkisian put his program ahead of whatever one-day cash grab that could exposé his players to new suitors.
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