Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule made some comments this weekend that raised many eyebrows in the college football world regarding whether or not he’ll hold a spring game to cap off spring practices.
Matt Rhule Makes Headlines, Claiming Spring Game Is More Detrimental Now Due to Transfer Portal
On Saturday, Feb. 1, Rhule made waves throughout college football when he claimed that the transfer portal is too detrimental to hold in the age of the transfer portal.
“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore,” Rhule reasoned. “It’s just an absolute free open common market. I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world and have people watch our guys and say, ‘He looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.'”
The Cornhuskers’ 2024 spring game was broadcast on the Big Ten Network and had an announced crowd of 60,452. That number fell behind only the Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Penn State Nittany Lions’ spring games.
“I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that,” Rhule said. “To go out and bring in a bunch of new players and showcase them for all the other schools to watch doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
According to Eric Olson of AP News, six players left the Nebraska program in the week after the spring game.
Rhule put a bow on his statement, bringing up the elephant in the room: money.
“Guys are being compensated now, and you’re putting money behind some people, a whole other set of parameters. Yet at the same time, you have to get good. Honestly, to me, it’s about protecting the roster and protecting through that portal period.”
Will there be a spring game, coach Rhule?
“I don’t know that yet, but I’ll be honest with you, I highly doubt it.”
While what he’s saying may be true, is his decision to up and cancel the spring game altogether the correct decision?
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It’s not — for a couple of reasons.
First, the revenue. Having over 60,000 fans in Memorial Stadium is an easy way to make a lot of money. Now that’ll be lost.
On the fan level, the Cornhusker faithful is one of the most dedicated fan bases in all of college football. Lincoln, Neb., isn’t home to any professional sports teams. None are particularly close, either. Nebraska football is their pro sports team. They show up in drove to support their Cornhuskers.
In fact, they’ve sold out an NCAA-record 403 consecutive home football games. That streak dates back to 1962. Do you think that the fans would be OK with missing out on the spring game?
It’s been a staple for years, and gives the fans of the program an opportunity to support their team in the middle of spring. For that reason, Rhule is playing with fire in terms of fan support and buy-in — towards him, in particular — from Cornhusker faithful.
Rhule comments also come off as a bit insecure.
If his players feel secure, taken care of, and well-compensated, they won’t leave anyway, no matter how good of film they produce during the spring game. There’s a hint of selfishness and a “get off my lawn” vibe from Rhule as well.
College sports are run by the money. Now that players have a piece of it, it’s essentially an extension of pro sports, and it should be treated as such.
In the professional leagues, it’s an understood sentiment when a player leaves for a bigger contract elsewhere in order to potentially take care of their family — which is extremely similar to what happens in the transfer portal.
If a player can earn a massive amount of money with another program, Rhule shouldn’t get in the way of that besides trying to piece together a deal to match that offer. If the player leaves for more money, that’s simply what it is. Rhule is attempting to block that from happening.
Let’s not forget the fact that it’s relatively normal for players to transfer after the spring game. Whether it’s due to lack of reps throughout spring practice or, on the flip side, far exceeding expectations and looking for an opportunity with a bigger program. Practice film is still a thing for players to showcase, not just the televised spring game.
Lastly, as far as team success in the fall goes, playing in front of fans is second to none. During the 15 allotted practices during the spring, practices are held behind closed doors or with very little visitors.
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Giving his players one more chance to prepare for the season by feeling the pre-game jitters and having to perform in front of 60,000 fans doesn’t come around a whole lot.
At the end of the day, simply put, Rhule should focus on his own team. Yes, he’s trying to win games and what he’s saying makes sense on the surface. But it’s potentially damaging to two important relationships: the Cornhusker fan base and the players.
He’s robbing both of an opportunity to be in the community and do what they love: support their team and play football.
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