College football had a chance to try something new—something fans, coaches, and players alike could rally behind.
It wasn’t radical or even that complicated. It was a simple idea: instead of teams just playing against themselves in an annual spring scrimmage, why not allow two programs to square off in the place of a spring game? Deion Sanders and Fran Brown thought it was a great idea, and honestly, so did a lot of people. But not the NCAA.
As of this week, the NCAA’s FBS Oversight Committee decided it would not grant a waiver to allow Colorado and Syracuse to play each other in a spring game. According to reports, the reasons included concerns about recruiting advantages, the academic calendar, and how far into spring practice some teams already are.
This decision came after Sanders publicly pitched the idea earlier in March.
“To have a competitive [game] against your own guys kind of gets monotonous,” Sanders said. “Everybody kind of knows each other.” His suggestion was to structure spring like the NFL—joint practices followed by a spring exhibition against another school.
Syracuse coach Fran Brown jumped on board almost immediately. Within minutes of the idea being floated, he was on social media saying the Orange would travel to Boulder for a few days to make it happen. Coaches collaborating, and fans excited—what’s not to like?
Apparently, plenty, if you’re the NCAA.
Why the NCAA won't be governing college football much longer
Let’s be real: this wasn’t going to change the fate of college football overnight. But it was a small, exciting step forward. A spring game between two teams isn’t just good TV—it’s good for competition, player development, and fan engagement.
Most coaches support the idea and have for years. The format allows them to evaluate players in a more realistic setting and prepare younger athletes for the feel of a real game without the stakes of a fall Saturday.
And yet, instead of meeting the moment—or even compromising—the NCAA took the most boring and frustrating route possible: rejection. Not even a “we’ll look into it for the future.” Not even a promise to reevaluate the rules down the road. Just a flat-out no.
Here’s the frustrating part: the NCAA absolutely could have said, “While it’s too late for this year, we recognize the value of the idea and will work toward allowing spring exhibitions between teams starting in 2026.” That would've shown leadership. That would've made sense. That would've, dare we say, made people feel like the NCAA was evolving.
But no. Once again, the NCAA has shown it's more interested in upholding outdated traditions than embracing the changing landscape of college football.
Let’s not forget—the NCAA already doesn’t control the College Football Playoff, and its grip on the Power Four and FBS level as a whole is slipping every year. Conference realignment has already proven that money and media drive college football far more than any NCAA policy. This ruling is just the latest example of how far removed the NCAA is from what coaches and fans actually want.
So here we are. An idea with real momentum gets shut down for reasons that sound more like excuses than legitimate barriers. And in doing so, the NCAA proves once again why its time overseeing college football may soon come to an end.