Nebraska Considering Spring Game Cancellation Due to Transfer Portal Implications

Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule discussed the likely cancellation of the program's spring football game.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head football coach Matt Rhule said that the program's spring game will likely be cancelled. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska Cornhuskers head football coach Matt Rhule will stop at nothing to prevent other teams from trying to poach players from his program.

Even if that means cancelling the school's spring football game, which is one of the most popular spring games in the entire sport.

Rhule's goal with the cancellation, which he called "likely," is to keep rival programs from getting a good look at his players to lure into the transfer portal.

"The word 'tampering' doesn't exist anymore," Rhule told reporters on Saturday. "It's just an absolute free open common market. I don't necessarily want to open up to the outside world and have people watch our guys and say, 'He looks like a pretty good player. Let's go get him.'"

Nebraska'a spring game drew over 60,000 fans last year, which was the fourth-highest attended spring game in the country behind Ohio State, Alabama and Penn State.

While the cancellation isn't yet official, it's likely—and Rhule doesn't want to take any chances. Six players of Nebraska's entered the portal after last year's spring game, and while Rhule didn't dive into specifics, he mentioned that several programs offered his players a lot of money following the well-attended exhibition.

"I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that," Rhule said. "So you go out and bring in a bunch of new players and showcase them for all the other schools to watch? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

Nebraska improved to 7-6 in Rhule's second year leading the program last season. This was a two-win improvement from a 5-7 debut season in 2023.

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