Texas, USC latest college football programs to cancel spring games - ESPN

In another sign of college football's transformation, Texas and USC have joined Nebraska in canceling their spring games.

«No, we're not going to have a spring game,» Texas coach Sarkisian told Kay Adams on the «Up & Adams Show» podcast Thursday. «College football is changing right now, and we need to do a great job as coaches of adapting.»

Sarkisian said in the last two years, Texas has played 30 games and had 25 players invited to the NFL combine. He said the wear and tear and turnover, with 21 mid-year recruits arriving recently, meant it was time to think differently.

«Normally you play your last game, and you have a bowl game 30 days off,» Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte told ESPN. «We went last game at [Texas] A&M, then SEC championship game, home game, quarterfinal and semifinal. The reality is we played four extra games. In my mind, it was, 'Hey guys, we gotta reimagine what the spring looks like.'»

Sarkisian said he hoped to have an NFL-style spring, with OTAs, or organized team activities, as the pros call them, with scrimmages.

«The development that's needed for these guys to get ready for the fall is a little bit different than it used to be,» Sarkisian said. «I just don't know if rolling the ball out and playing the game, when we only get 15 practices, is the best for us to maximize the opportunities that we get.»

A USC source said there's not much upside to spring games with risk of injury and more important use for financial resources.

«The biggest purpose that a spring game actually serves now is a fan engagement tool, and we just we just think we can engage fans in a better way,» the source said.

Those were all different reasons than Nebraska cited, with coach Matt Rhule saying his biggest