LOGAN – Utah State could end up following in the footsteps of other college football programs that are heavily considering not holding public spring football scrimmages. Fears are that other schools are essentially spying on spring scrimmages and then poaching players they scout during the public showcase by incentivizing them to enter the transfer portal and join their program through pay-for-play NIL deals.
It’s a practice that is theoretically against the rules, but nothing has stopped anyone from doing it.
“There are rules that are supposed to be governing tampering, but they’re not enforced,” Utah State football coach Bronco Mendenhall said during his national signing day press conference on Wednesday. “They’re not enforced effectively and they’re having very little impact on the decisions made. So tampering is widespread and it is occurring. And so am I concerned about having an open scrimmage for opponents to show up or the national landscape to send personnel here to watch that and then simply buy our players? Certainly.”
The possibility of losing players as a result of putting them on display for poachers to scout is putting spring football showcases at risk of becoming an endangered species. Last Saturday, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said his program likely won’t hold a spring scrimmage — an event that annually brings in tens of thousands (north of 60,000 in 2024) — for that very reason. A report from Chip Brown of Horns247 said that sources claimed Texas hadn’t yet decided whether it would hold a spring game, though those sources said it had more to do with potential “wear-and-tear” on players. The Longhorns played 16 games last season thanks to its participation in the SEC Championship game and a run in the College Football Playoff, with their season lasting all the way up to Jan. 10.
Utah State held its spring showcase on April 20, smack in the middle of the second transfer portal window that lasted from April 16-25. In the days following the event at least four USU football players entered the portal including star linebacker Anthony Switzer who transferred to Arkansas.
“There’s really nothing that’s preventing anyone that’s looking for players, or has an interest in one of our players, to show up to the spring game, assess them again in real time with their eyes on them — and then here’s the window and then offer them and then try to have them leave for their program,” Mendenhall said.
Mendenhall didn’t commit to any course of action on Wednesday, simply weighing the positives and negatives of either decision.
“I’ll consider what our spring practice might look like in terms of a spring game. I’d love to generate momentum and excitement for Utah State football to connect with the community. I might move that to the fall, right before the season starts, something like that where the roster can be solidified without the risk that we’re talking about. Because I would love our fans, and those that support our program, to see our team. I now have to manage that in the context of what’s best for the program with a spring window.”
Early February is typically when schools announce spring practice dates, including those for spring scrimmages. Utah State (which announced its spring practice dates on Feb. 3 last year) has typically held two public spring scrimmages with the second being branded as the “Blue vs White Spring Showcase” that includes more interactive elements for fans, such as the chance to go on the field and meet players after the scrimmage.
