Spring games were once an oasis in the desert: An opportunity for alumni to return to campus and meet friends on a spring weekend and watch a football game.
Now it’s more of a mirage: The image is there, for some teams, and for others as April nears it’s not there at all.
Coach Mike Norvell and Florida State administrators opted not to do a spring football game (or showcase, in Norvell’s preferred terminology) for a second straight year. In 2025, there was the renovation of Doak Campbell Stadium.
This spring, the Savannah Bananas’ baseball game on Feb. 28 followed by a pair of Professional Bull Riders events on March 13-14 took center stage inside the football stadium. Those events brought significant revenue to Tallahassee, an estimated $10.5 million economic impact. FSU’s revenue splits from the events are not yet known.
Norvell explained his reasoning — the desire to have an extra closed scrimmage compared to an open showcase — just days before FSU opened spring practice.
“You would have a practice where you wouldn’t show much, you wouldn’t do much, you get certain points where you’re probably holding back on one of those days because you don’t want to show too much for your first opponent,” Norvell said. “… I understand fans want to be here, it is an experience, but when you look at the process of this team growing, we’re going to capitalize on getting three full scrimmages.”
The new reality of spring games: FSU is among a small group of ACC schools that won’t hold an open spring game/practice for fans, but just one program in the league will broadcast its game. This is a quick 180 from just a year ago, when ESPN promoted spring football games at a number of schools across the SEC and a few nationally.
Changing landscape
As of Wednesday, ESPN has not promoted any specific ACC or SEC spring games on its networks. Syracuse is the only ACC school that will produce its spring game and that will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
There are a few reasons for this pivot. The obvious is a desire to not give opposing coaches any early film to review for the fall. Call it paranoia or a reluctance to give any potential edge, there is caution in the coaching fraternity.
The less obvious has to do with reducing potential tampering ahead of the next transfer portal window by not showcasing the talent on your roster. Call it paranoid but, with rampant tampering among schools, coaches are locking their wallets in their glove box rather than leaving them exposed on the dashboard of an unlocked car.
The Osceola did research on which ACC schools are holding spring games and which aren’t. In part of our research, we learned the games are “expensive to produce, not a ton of viewership,” according to one source.
Spring highlights of ACC teams
Instead, each school will produce a 30-minute video with a blend of highlights and interviews. Those shows will air later in April or May on the ACC Network, although a schedule has not yet been announced.
Below are the ACC schools and their spring game plans:
Clemson – Held an open spring game on March 28
Boston College – No spring game
NC State – No spring game
Florida State – No spring game
Syracuse – Spring game on April 11 (live stream)
Pittsburgh — Spring game on April 11 (closed to public due to NFL draft preparations at Heinz Field)
Stanford – No spring game but will have an open practice on April 11
UNC – No spring game. Will hold a “practice like a pro” open practice on April 12
Louisville – Spring game on April 17
SMU – Spring game on April 17
California – Spring game on April 18
Miami – Spring game on April 18
Duke – Spring game on April 18
Georgia Tech – Spring game on April 18
Virginia – Spring game on April 18
Virginia Tech – Spring game on April 18
Wake Forest – Spring game on April 18
Thanks for reading the Osceola. Subscribe now for 40 percent off to enjoy a full year of coverage of FSU athletics. You’ll also earn a $15 gift card at the Osceola’s merch store.
