NU FB: Is canceling the televised spring game the right decision?

[Mr.Bojangles]

Sell them

Good God man! They're not hogs.😂

 

[Jim14510]

Feels like winning and running a great program mitigates a lot of these issues...let's hope we do that...

Winning and money. Notre Dame did the winning part and still seemed to lose a lot to the portal.

 

[huskerj12]

Did anyone notable get poached after last year's spring game, or is this something that is supposedly about to pop off this season? Just trying to understand what changed since last year.

 

[Quint]

My thing is I think that many believe this is due to lack of numbers and the 105 thing. For me, we are still scrimmaging so you can still do something, and the spring game has been a big deal in Lincoln for so long. Don't cancel the thing. But I do think there needs to be tweaks, we aren't going to have 20 linemen available like last spring.

If you are scared to show things, just go vanilla. Quite honestly, that will show you who is better 1 v1 when you look at a DL vs OL or LB making plays. Blitzing on defense, or the offense doing a trick play to confuse the defense isn't helping you make roster decisions or find out who can play for you. Be basic, use a running clock, then do little gimmick things like a kid is chosen to kick a 25 yard FG, have students/sororities/fraternities do something, have the band do a mock halftime show. You can keep the spring game, and there is something to be said about seeing how your kids perform in front of 60k+ before you actually need them to in the fall. Players are scouted all the time, it's what happened with Dowdell, Butler, Boerkircher, Gbayor before the spring game even happened.

I'm somewhere in between your two options, so I apologize about the long rant here.

The game itself isn’t cancelled, just won’t be televised.

I’m good with it, not that they’re going to ask.

 

[Quint]

Did anyone notable get poached after last year's spring game, or is this something that is supposedly about to pop off this season? Just trying to understand what changed since last year.

What I had read/heard was that Rhule was hearing crap internally about other teams reaching out after the televised event. If that’s accurate, don’t televise it. Of course all you’re doing is postponing their exposure to August, but at least at that point they’re on the roster at the start of the season and can’t bail until the next portal window.

 

[HerbRedman]

Did anyone notable get poached after last year's spring game, or is this something that is supposedly about to pop off this season? Just trying to understand what changed since last year.

It's not that they leave per se...it's that the staff has to put extra time into re-recruiting their own player. And 1890 has to put extra money into re-signing a kid to match an offer from another school.

All these things take resources. Time is a resource. Money is a resource.

If a school tries to poach a Michigan player and the player considers leaving....but Michigan gets him to stay by offering another $200k...that's still a drain on Michigan's resources. Yes, they kept the player in the end but damage is still done by having to work to keep him. This is what Rhule is talking about. Damage is done whether the kid leaves or not.

 

[Quint]

It's not that they leave per se...it's that the staff has to put extra time into re-recruiting their own player. And 1890 has to put extra money into re-signing a kid to match an offer from another school.

All these things take resources. Time is a resource. Money is a resource.

If a school tries to poach a Michigan player and the player considers leaving....but Michigan gets him to stay by offering another $200k...that's still a drain on Michigan's resources. Yes, they kept the player in the end but damage is still done by having to work to keep him. This is what Rhule is talking about. Damage is done whether the kid leaves or not.

It’s a lot like having to continually woo your wife decades after marriage to keep her happy.

Oh, wait. Bad example.

 

[Stan Raymond]

Appreciate this post.

However if the biggest problem is opposing coaches sitting by the TV w a notepad and scouting our young players....you're still going to have this issue if we move to 7-on-7 etc.

The issue is that opposing coaches are watching bc we have a 2 hr window showcasing our players. Asst coach in Miami or guy in TX who JUST missed out on our recruit can re-call the kid "saw you in the spring game, we actually came up with another $100k for you."

The spring game is the great equalizer. That gives you a real work glimpse at a new recruit. You see how they look in pads, w a professional scheme, vs other CFB athletes. Some recruits immediately look better or worse.

I don't think 7-on-7 etc solves this. The issue is the 2 hr window on TV for all the world to see. And taking it off TV doesn't solve it. Teams can easily just sent their Conor Stalions to record the game.

You have to cancel the entire spring game completely, until you change the transfer portal windows.

Meh, most of the "stand outs" in the Spring game turn into nothing. If somebody wants to offer AJ Rollins or Jaquez Yant or any other "Spring Game Star", I'm not to worried about the loss. Word of a talented backup will always leak out as having HS coaches watch practice will continue as a necessity to recruiting. I think it's a pretty lame excuse, be confident that we can retain the talent here instead of trying to hide talent because we are scared it will leave.

 

[HerbRedman]

Meh, most of the "stand outs" in the Spring game turn into nothing. If somebody wants to offer AJ Rollins or Jaquez Yant or any other "Spring Game Star", I'm not to worried about the loss. Word of a talented backup will always leak out as having HS coaches watch practice will continue as a necessity to recruiting. I think it's a pretty lame excuse, be confident that we can retain the talent here instead of trying to hide talent because we are scared it will leave.

If there's really nothing there, what's the motivation for Rhule to cancel it?

Rhule is huge on branding and recruiting experience and program differentiators for NU (of which the spring game is one)....why is Rhule canceling it?

Apparently Rhule has always hated our spring game and now is making up a fake reason to cancel it (to hide the real reason). Yet no one knows the real reason or even has a guess at it. I'm loving this conspiracy theory. It's truly one of the dumbest out there.

 

[Stan Raymond]

If there's really nothing there, what's the motivation for Rhule to cancel it?

Rhule is huge on branding and recruiting experience and program differentiators for NU (of which the spring game is one)....why is Rhule canceling it?

Apparently Rhule has always hated our spring game and now is making up a fake reason to cancel it (to hide the real reason). Yet no one knows the real reason or even has a guess at it. I'm loving this conspiracy theory. It's truly one of the dumbest out there.

We will see who is allowed to watch practice. If it's a real issue and concern then practice attendance should be much more limited than in the past. I just don't agree with this decision or the excuse given.

 

[HerbRedman]

We will see who is allowed to watch practice. If it's a real issue and concern then practice attendance should be much more limited than in the past. I just don't agree with this decision or the excuse given.

It already is limited. Rhule used to let players' family, alumni and HS coach into any scrimmage they wanted. Rhule rescinded that access last fall.

Also NU held the NIL fundraising practice last year that was open to the public. IIRC there were murmurs after that that Rhule wasn't a fan of it but I could be misremembering.

 

[vailhusker]

 

[BIGSTICK67]

We're the leaders and the best. Ahem Michigan...SMH

 

[Tell_Sackett]

The game itself isn’t cancelled, just won’t be televised.

I’m good with it, not that they’re going to ask.

Is this actually the case? Will fans be allowed? I'm guessing no.

FTR, I strongly disagree with Rhule on this, not that it matters to anyone. New generations of fans are born at the spring game and for a lot of families, that's the only shot they get at attending. $100 bucks to take your family of 5 vs $1000. The mass attendance we draw is one of our biggest differentiators from other programs too. I just hate it.

If they just aren't televising it and all else is the same, then I can understand that decision and ignore my rant above.

 

[Stan Raymond]

Is this actually the case? Will fans be allowed? I'm guessing no.

FTR, I strongly disagree with Rhule on this, not that it matters to anyone. New generations of fans are born at the spring game and for a lot of families, that's the only shot they get at attending. $100 bucks to take your family of 5 vs $1000. The mass attendance we draw is one of our biggest differentiators from other programs too. I just hate it.

If they just aren't televising it and all else is the same, then I can understand that decision and ignore my rant above.

Spring Game is cancelled.

I agree with you, I don't really care if it was televised, but do think cancelling it is a mistake.

 

[Quint]

Is this actually the case? Will fans be allowed? I'm guessing no.

FTR, I strongly disagree with Rhule on this, not that it matters to anyone. New generations of fans are born at the spring game and for a lot of families, that's the only shot they get at attending. $100 bucks to take your family of 5 vs $1000. The mass attendance we draw is one of our biggest differentiators from other programs too. I just hate it.

If they just aren't televising it and all else is the same, then I can understand that decision and ignore my rant above.

The initial report I read said the game wouldn’t be televised.

Everything I read in preparing to respond to your post, says ‘Cancelled’. I’d say it won’t take place.

I understand your frustration with the cancellation, but the ‘why’ of it, I actually agree with. It sucks that we’re at this point with ‘amateur athletics’, but it is what it is. Why risk exposure of kids to other schools? With USC and Texas joining the list, it’s obvious Nebraska and Rhule aren’t alone. Add to the poaching component the risk of injury in a meaningless scrimmage and I’m even more OK with it. I loved the tradition of it and I’ve looked forward to it since it was first televised or recorded and replayed later, but times change and he’s changing with them.

 

[vailhusker]

If it equals winning more games next season then a very few will give a shit if they had a spring game or not.

 

[Quint]

If it equals winning more games next season then a very few will give a shit if they had a spring game or not.

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This is true, but I’ve noticed we seem to have a section of our fan base that is going to find something to complain about no matter what.

I suspect it’s how they are in all parts of their lives, but I don’t know for sure.

 

[Snockered69]

Take it from Dean folks, this was a necessary move. If you cut down 20% seven times we make our money back?

 

[BingoDingo]

Take it from Dean folks, this was a necessary move. If you cut down 20% seven times we make our money back?

He has such a way with words...