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R.I.P. Spring Game

JHudson

Administrator
Staff member
25 Year Member


"April 26th. And I am not going to call it a spring game and do not call it a spring game because I do not expect it to be a game. I don't know what it's going to be just yet. And really, that's going to be Matt's call. But I will say true games as we've known them in the spring are falling by the wayside for a lot of reasons. But there'll be something. I'm internally thinking more of a fall sports preview and maybe engaging volleyball and soccer in some way, shape or form and really celebrate the fall sports and kind of whet the appetite for what lies ahead."

"I think football staff is going to figure out exactly what they want to do over the next few weeks."

"Whether it's a seven-on-seven thing or whether he brings some alums back or whether he plays flag football, I don't know, but you know, a de-emphasis on the game part, the contact part. One of my first experiences here last year, we had two ACLs during that game. And so, you know, it's a different era from a compensation standpoint and the NIL and the investment there. Transfer portal opens up right after those spring game dates. And so, I expect something that's not not going to be televised, but something that will be a celebration of our athletes. We'll get to see some some skills and see what they've got and then go from there."
 



"April 26th. And I am not going to call it a spring game and do not call it a spring game because I do not expect it to be a game. I don't know what it's going to be just yet. And really, that's going to be Matt's call. But I will say true games as we've known them in the spring are falling by the wayside for a lot of reasons. But there'll be something. I'm internally thinking more of a fall sports preview and maybe engaging volleyball and soccer in some way, shape or form and really celebrate the fall sports and kind of whet the appetite for what lies ahead."

"I think football staff is going to figure out exactly what they want to do over the next few weeks."

"Whether it's a seven-on-seven thing or whether he brings some alums back or whether he plays flag football, I don't know, but you know, a de-emphasis on the game part, the contact part. One of my first experiences here last year, we had two ACLs during that game. And so, you know, it's a different era from a compensation standpoint and the NIL and the investment there. Transfer portal opens up right after those spring game dates. And so, I expect something that's not not going to be televised, but something that will be a celebration of our athletes. We'll get to see some some skills and see what they've got and then go from there."


Not sure I would make the 3 1/2 drive to Lincoln for that but that is me.
 
Considering the only affordable game for a lot of people was the Spring Game, this is yet another avenue removed to potentially damage long term an already vulnerable fanbase. We can say we "get it" as much as we want, but ultimately revenue is driven through eyes on product and fan interest. If the solution is to push soccer and volleyball, good luck. Football better perform, the general fan just keeps losing and the diehards, well they're starting to see the carnival game for what it is.
 
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Considering the only affordable game for a lot of people was the Spring Game, this is yet another avenue removed to potentially damage long term an already vulnerable fanbase. We can say we "get it" as much as we want, but ultimately revenue is driven through eyes on product and fan interest. If the solution is to push soccer and volleyball, good luck. Football better perform, the general fan just keeps losing and the diehards, well they're starting to see the carnival game for what it is.

You're correct that it's revenue driven, but it's not driven by the in-person game experience anymore. It's driven by TV, and has been for quite a while. Quite a few major universities, including Nebraska, have either explored or already started stadium renovations that include a reduction in seating capacity. At home viewing on a big screen HDTV has just gotten so good, and is so much cheaper given the increase in ticket prices and the required donations for season tickets pretty much everywhere fewer people are going to games.

The fact that whatever replaces the traditional spring game apparently isn't going to be televised is a bigger concern to me. I'm quite sure BTN's not happy about losing a college football broadcast on a random day in April when the "average" spots fan isn't even thinking about the upcoming college football season yet. Now that a major program like Nebraska has "killed" the spring game, IMO the floodgates will open and nearly everybody will do it. Nobody wants to be "first" at announcing a decision like this, they'll be perfectly happy to be second, because their decision won't be as news worthy.
 
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Not surprising, but disappointing. Also, understandable on some levels. Still, bummer to see one of the annual things our family did together go away. We are super blessed to have a couple of season tickets, but that means only two of us can go at a time, the spring game was the only time the entire family could attend a football "game" together. We are only 45 minutes from Lincoln, but at the moment I'm not seeing the draw to bring the family for a generalized athletics showcase thingy or whatever grows from this. We'll see.

I guess I'll be interested to see if this is something most schools that have done spring games will be moving towards now with the limited rosters and such.
 
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I think this is really unfortunate for many reasons. Yes, financially it hurts the University, the team, the local businesses, etc. but the small things will be missed. The spring game was a welcomed bridge to get from the last game to the first. We got to see the new kids we heard so much about during recruiting. We got to see walk-ons, some that may never get that kind of opportunity and exposure again; the hometown farm boy, 8-man legend playing on BTN. Depending on the weather, we proudly got to display our loyalty to show up to a scrimmage. We got to see a coach hoist a cat above his head during the tunnel walk. We got to see tributes to players we have lost and honor several people who may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

The spring game wasn't just a scrimmage, it was an inexpensive opportunity for the fans to gather, see things and people we may not see during the regular season. It was a scaled back version of today's super-hyped made-for-TV production that the NCAA has sold out for. You ever step out of your high-tech vehicle that costs a fortune that you can't work on or fix and drive an old, simple car or truck and it just feels right? It reminds you of how things were; simple, effective, affordable and now in some cases, a classic. That was our spring game.

I'll miss it. Even if I couldn't attend in person, which I often did, I will miss this tradition.
 
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If you pay attention to college football other than Nebraska you will find that there has been fewer and fewer true "spring games" being played. BTN still broadcasts whatever a team is doing. I think it was MSU last year that basically just had practice and they showed it.
 


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