Stoops adamant on keeping spring games at Kentucky

LEXINGTON — While a few college football programs work toward canceling traditional spring football games, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops remains adamant toward keeping it on schedule, according to an interview with On3.

Yeah, I want to do something,” Stoops told On3. “So it’s a little early. I think we’re in really good shape healthy right now. I want to open it up and show you guys and show the fans, and make sure you guys and the fans get access, whether it’s a practice or a spring game, however we format it, I want to do something.”

Giving fans access to their favorite team, getting to know newer players and being able to display growth and development in a mock game is still a big deal. That is especially true for the average fan who may not be able to afford tickets to a regular season game. 

Even though Stoops wants to keep everything in place, he did have a novel idea. Play the game live but don’t allow television cameras onsite. 

“And yeah, I don’t think we’ll put it on TV, we haven’t talked about it or anything, but I want to open it up to you and to our fans, and even if it practice.” 

In recent years, teams around the nation have done away with traditional four quarter spring scrimmages and now hold glorified practices. 

“At least, you know, a lot of times you can see more than a spring game,” Stoops said. “Understand what the spring game for football is, if we split up two teams, you’re diluting it, you know? And it just doesn’t always look as good as it can in the fall, when we put them all in one team, right?”

Situational work and individual drills could be the future of spring football. At least for the fans sake, they will at least get to view something like new additions from the transfer portal like quarterback Zach Calzada and Kendrick Law.

“So if we go offense against defense, at least, you get a good vision,” Stoops said. “You get to see the players play, so we’ll do something.”