Michigan State’s head coach drop another news . Sadly, this decision hurts the fan base the most
Michigan State has now joined the list of college football programs that won’t be holding a spring game this year.
Some coaches have justified this decision by stating that they would rather utilize that exhibition period as an extra practice opportunity. This is the reasoning given by Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith.
“There were several reasons for not holding a spring game, but we are really focused on making the most of all 15 spring practices, and I believe this is the best approach,” he explained, as reported by SpartanMag.
Smith says Michigan State football will not have a spring football game this year.
— SpartanMag.com (@TheSpartanMag) March 18, 2025
While gaining an extra practice day to focus on fundamentals is a valid strategy, coaches like Dabo Swinney from Clemson have pointed out that the best way to improve is through actual games. A well-executed spring game can effectively simulate real game conditions for the team.
“You don’t improve at football if you don’t play it. If we had the option for two or three preseason games in the fall, my perspective on spring would be different. But we don’t have that option. The NFL has three preseason games to help teams assess themselves… We only have our games, like the one against LSU. So I view our scrimmages as a chance to evaluate and teach our players,” Swinney commented recently.
Swinney believes that “poaching” will happen whether or not a spring game is held.
However, one of the “multiple factors” mentioned by Smith likely includes concerns about rival teams scouting MSU’s roster. This is particularly relevant considering that schools like Michigan could exploit the upcoming spring transfer portal, which opens on April 16, to attract transfers.
Smith aims to rebuild what was once a top MSU program, and he cannot do that if he loses his best young players to the transfer portal. Therefore, cancelling the spring game seems a reasonable decision.
Unfortunately, this impacts the fans the most.
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