CFB leadership moves towards resolving spring game issue with NFL-like solution

Spring games could be on the verge of significant change across the college football landscape. This offseason, a host of programs are set to discontinue public spring games. The age-long tradition nears its death as the realm witnesses significant changes.

Prominent college football coaches are advocating for a shift toward NFL-style organized team activities in June or July, using the allotted 15 practice days in a new format. That takes the landscape further away from its amateur norms to adopt professional values.

According to CBS Sports, FBS coaches explored a potential proposal to replace spring practices with OTAs in late spring and early summer at the American Football Coaches Association annual meeting in January. The objective is to provide better roster organization.

---

OTAs replacing spring games will address growing tampering concerns

The introduction of NFL-styled OTAs in place of spring games will address a lot of tampering concerns after the spring transfer portal window, which opens in mid-April.

With the advent of NIL, tampering has become technically legal as more and more programs now get actively involved.

“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said in a press conference announcing the cancellation of the 2025 spring game. It’s just an absolute, free, open, common market.

“I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys and say, ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.’”

Rhule’s words echo the opinion of a majority of college football coaches on the current state of the landscape. The realm has lost the core part of its values following the introduction of groundbreaking rules that used to be alien to the landscape.

---

A new proposal for the length of the transfer portal

Rather than delving deeply into the topic of introducing OTAs in the January meeting, coaches chose to prioritize discussions on reducing the length of transfer portal windows. Despite the reduction over the years, there are still widespread concerns about the lengths.

The discussion proposed consolidating the two transfer portal windows, reducing the current 30-day period in December and the 10-day window in April into a single 10-day period beginning in early January. That eliminates fears of tampering at the least expected time.

The proposal received unanimous approval from around 60 coaches at the meeting. However, it may encounter obstacles as it moves through the NCAA oversight committee and Division I Council for ratification. The landscape now awaits the decision of the committee.