In recent weeks, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, and other major college football coaches have made public comments about not wanting to play a spring game, for fear of giving other programs the opportunity to poach players based on their performances.

Could Oregon State become one of the clubs that adopts a new spring football strategy?

In an interview with The Oregonian‘s Nick Daschel, Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes sort of answered a question about reconsidering how Oregon State football operates in the spring

“Barnes acknowledges there ‘is more risk’ playing a spring game and showing it on television, but any decision to make spring football changes is Bray’s.”

‘”Our focus is what we’ve always been about,’ Barnes said, ‘and that’s developing players.'”

Long-standing traditions aside, the idea of playing a spring game being “risky” isn’t completely without merit. On one hand, getting live game experience for younger and more inexperienced players (of which Oregon State has a lot) can be extremely valuable for their development. Pracite reps are great, but it’s just not the same. There’s also the revenue opportunity that a spring game represents for any program.

On the other hand, in the transfer portal era (the next window begins in April) spring games do allow those same players to get some good, easily accessible film that could be leveraged into another opportunity. When retaining players is already fairly difficult for many programs, it could be considered a showcase of sorts for players that may already be on the fence about staying. Oregon State had 12 players either enter the transfer portal or commit to another program after the 2024 spring game (April 21).

A date for Oregon State’s 2025 spring game has not yet been set.

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