With some college football programs pivoting their approach to spring practices this year, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Kalen DeBoer plan to modify their A-Day Game, or spring game, this year.
“A lot of times here, the A-Day Game, it’s been more of a practice, and there’s been some scrimmaging, not necessarily much of a game,” DeBoer told On3.
“Even when I was at Fresno State, we called it the spring preview. Especially this year, there’s some things we’re working through with some injuries and so forth. So it’ll definitely be modified. We want to try to have some type of event around April 12.”
Alabama’s annual A-Day Game is the final event of the program’s spring practice.
Earlier this month, Penn State head coach James Franklin announced the Nittany Lions would continue with the team’s plans for a spring game. His announcement was spurred because Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said the Huskers would not hold its spring game.
The concern around spring games stems from other coaches and programs using them to scout for up-and-coming players. Seeing who performs well at spring practices, teams are tampering by coaxing players to enter the transfer portal.
According to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello, coaches are considering changes to the spring calendar.
“Sources told CBS Sports that FBS coaches discussed a potential proposal to eliminate spring practices and implement OTAs in the late spring and early summer months at the American Football Coaches Association annual meeting in January,” Marcello wrote.
“The goal is to better organize rosters before the summer semester and combat tampering before the spring transfer portal window opens in mid-April.”
