LSU football is shaking things up this spring by ditching its traditional spring game in favor of a new approach.
On Friday, LSU announced it will hold an open practice on April 12 inside Tiger Stadium, followed by a fan autograph session. The event, which is free to attend, will open its gates at 9:30 a.m.
This open practice replaces the typical public scrimmage that traditionally capped off spring football. While LSU initially planned to host a spring game, head coach Brian Kelly opted for a format change a trend that has gained traction across college football.
Several programs, including Nebraska, Texas, and USC, have scrapped their spring games for various reasons. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian cited concerns over player workload, while Nebraska’s Matt Rhule worried that televised scrimmages might make it easier for rival programs to scout and poach players through the transfer portal.
Kelly, however, isn’t convinced that canceling spring games prevents roster poaching. “I’m not buying that one,” he said in a recent interview.
That said, he does see value in making spring games less public to slow down transfer portal activity. With the transfer portal reopening from April 16-25, Kelly believes keeping team affairs more private could be beneficial.
“I think there’s more of a mindset of, ‘Why not keep our business a little more guarded instead of broadcasting everything, especially with how easy it is for players to transfer?’” Kelly explained. “That seems to be the bigger motivation.”
