NCAA Blocks Colorado-Syracuse Spring Football Game Amid Controversy

Colorado and Syracuse will have to postpone their plans for joint practices and a scrimmage this spring for at least another year, as their request was turned down by an NCAA committee this week.

During a video conference on Thursday, the Football Bowl Subdivision oversight committee rejected the waiver request from Colorado and Syracuse that sought relief from the rule against spring scrimmages.

The idea was initially put forward by Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who aimed to emulate the NFL’s practice of teams conducting joint sessions before preseason games. Syracuse coach Fran Brown eagerly supported the proposal, expressing his respect for Sanders and highlighting that many institutions have moved away from holding intrasquad spring games.

The FBS oversight committee highlighted three main reasons for rejecting the waiver: the timing, as many teams have already organized their spring practices and some have even wrapped them up; the competitive edge that Colorado and Syracuse would gain while other teams are unable to conduct similar scrimmages this spring; and the possible academic consequences for athletes who would miss classes to take part in these practices and scrimmages.

“The way the trend is going is, you never know if this is going to be the last spring game,” Sanders said earlier this month. “Now, I don’t believe in that, and I don’t really want to condone that. … To have it competitive, and to play against your own guys, it can get kind of monotonous, and you really can’t tell the level of your guys.”

In its report, the committee indicated it would keep exploring “a concept that could allow for joint spring practices in future years.” They are scheduled to convene again on April 10. The committee is primarily made up of athletic directors and conference officials, along with Illinois coach Bret Bielema and College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark.

This week, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy expressed a desire to conduct practices or scrimmages with in-state rival Oklahoma instead of holding separate spring games. The teams have paused their traditional Bedlam series following Oklahoma’s move from the Big 12 to the SEC.