Could Oklahoma State's Spring Football Game Be Gone For Good?
In the thick of spring football, programs around the country have begun holding their spring games to show fans the players' development and give them a look at the team since they won't see them again until the fall. For the second straight year, Oklahoma State isn't going to be holding a spring football game. Again, the reason behind doing so is for stadium renovations to Boone Pickens Stadium.
Over the years, the spring football game has lost some popularity. It's a fun event, but it also comes with the risk of injuring players. On the contrary, it's also a big weekend for programs to win recruits over or give them a good reason to bring them to campus.
Oklahoma State seems to be trending toward not having a spring game, at least while head coach Mike Gundy is in charge. He's starting to take to the idea of not hosting the game. This helps the Cowboys host recruits for live practices and such.
“What’s happened here the last two years is almost like what happened in COVID,” Gundy said to the media. “Like a lot of stuff in COVID, you’re like, ‘That’s a pretty good idea. I can stay home. I don’t ever have to go to the office. I don’t have to get out of my PJs.’"
Essentially, Gundy and the Cowboys have seen the benefit of not having the game, and now they could move toward not playing one at all, even when the stadium is done. The problem? The Cowboys fans want to get a peak at the team they'll be supporting in the fall.
"I think we’ve learned not having a spring game, other than not engaging the fans — it used to be the fans and the recruits. Now the recruits are fine, it’s just the fans. We might have to implement something for the crowd, the fans, but it’s certainly more advantageous for us to have a practice,” Gundy explained.
It'll be something worth watching moving forward. Gundy has been an incredibly consistent coach while leading his alma mater, so it's hard to question his tactics. How the program implements something for fans to take in is something to keep an eye on.
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022