Billy Napier is more concerned with the opinion of others than tampering related to college football spring games. It appears as though he does not want to deal with the wrath of the Florida fanbase.
The 45-year-old head coach believes the current reality of the exhibition showcase is a lose-lose situation and would rather push forward as planned.
This dialogue stems from a new trend in college football. Coaches are choosing not to play a traditional spring game at the end of the practice period in late March or April for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, injuries pile up during the weeks leading up to the scrimmage which means the rosters are often lopsided and imbalanced. Secondly, teams play multiple exhibition games behind closed doors throughout the spring practice window so it is redundant to play an additional scrimmage for the public.
Perhaps most importantly, the new transfer portal calendar makes it so that the players can leave their current programs to seek other opportunities shortly after they compete in the spring games.
That is problematic for a few reasons:
- Coaches have to create a depth chart for the spring game. Even if they do not name a true starter, they are forced to put a specific player on the field for the first drive — thus, naming a true starter.
- A lack of playing time could cause an athlete to enter the transfer portal.
- The majority of Division-I spring games are televised in some capacity, whether on a national network or through various streaming platforms.
- Coaches at other schools can watch those games.
If a player balls out at a spring game, he could then be recruited (illegally) to enter the transfer portal.
Billy Napier is not as worried.
Two recent examples of tampering include Montana Lemonious-Craig and Isaiah Augustave.
Lemonious-Craig went for 154 yards and a touchdown in Colorado’s first spring game of the Coach Prime era. He entered the portal one day later and transferred out. Augustave essentially did the same thing. He entered the portal less than 24 hours after he got the most touches of any running back at Arkansas’ spring game.
Lane Kiffin foresaw potential issues with the spring game at Ole Miss last season. The fifth-year head coach decided to change the format in response to injuries and tampering. It was more like the Pro Bowl Games versus the full-speed, full-contact Pro Bowl of old.
Matt Rhule recently decided to cancel Nebraska’s spring game all together. He doesn’t want to give other teams the chance to watch his players so they cannot be tampered with.
Billy Napier does not seem to care. Florida’s head coach would rather deal with the repercussions of tampering than the wrath of his fanbase.
To each his own. I’m either going to have coaches tampering with my players, or I’m going to have a fanbase that’s pissed off at not having a spring game. It’s pick your poison.
— Billy Napier
What is worse? Losing some of your best players or depth pieces to the transfer portal after a spring game or having to answer to angry fans? Billy Napier seems to think it would be the latter. He has already succumb to peer pressure that does not yet exist.