NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren met with the media today after the Wolfpack’s first day of Spring Practice. You can watch the video and read the transcript here. In his opening statement, he shared that there would not be a televised Spring Game this year open to the public.

Our practices this spring, obviously with the two new coordinators, are going to be closed to the public, and nothing will be televised. We use each opportunity on our weekends. Some will be scrimmages, some will be thud, some will be situational, but we’re going to play, and we’re going to get better this spring. For obvious reasons, you don’t want your stuff out there if it doesn’t have to be. So you don’t have to see me as much.

In past years, the ACC required schools to host a televised Spring Game, but that rule was lifted this year. NC State is among many schools across the landscape of college football that are not hosting a televised Spring Game open to the public.

There are many reasons a football program might choose this route. Doeren specified that with Kurt Roper installed as the new Offensive Coordinator and DJ Eliot filling Tony Gibson’s shoes as Defensive Coordinator, there is no strategic advantage in putting any of the new schematic changes to the offense and defense on film for their 2025 opponents to see.

In all reality, the days of the Spring Game being a legitimate game have been a thing of the past for a while now, with recent versions of it being more like a scrimmage that might take place in practice, with coaches being more involved and players swapping jerseys.

While the nostalgic side of me will miss the annual Spring Game, I completely understand and agree with the rationale behind NC State’s decision.