LINCOLN, Neb. — The University of Nebraska’s spring game, one of the best attended in college football and a major revenue producer for the Cornhuskers, likely won’t be held going forward because of coach Matt Rhule’s concern about other teams poaching his players.
“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore,” Rhule said Saturday at his midwinter news conference. “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.'”
The spring game has a long tradition at Nebraska. Last year the event drew 60,452 to Memorial Stadium, attendance that ranked fourth in the nation behind spring games at Ohio State, Alabama and Penn State. The Cornhuskers’ game also was televised on the Big Ten Network.
“I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that,” said Rhule, who went 5-7 in his debut campaign at Nebraska in 2023 and 7-6 this past season. “To 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.”
Six players who had been on Nebraska’s roster entered the NCAA transfer portal the week after last year’s spring game.
The spring portal period ends April 25 this year, the day before Nebraska’s spring practices wrap up. However, players can switch schools without entering the portal, which was the case with the recent move to Atlantic Coast Conference member Miami by safety Xavier Lucas from Wisconsin — which, like Nebraska, competes in the Big Ten.
Rhule said exposing his players to other schools is more of a concern to him than risking injuries in a spring game, even though Nebraska receiver Demitrius Bell and cornerback Blye Hill were hurt in last year’s game and missed the season. Rhule said there would continue to be live tackling by the Huskers in scrimmages this spring.
“Guys are being compensated now, and you’re putting money behind some people, a whole other set of parameters,” Rhule said in reference to players earning through NIL deals. “Yet at the same time, you have to get good. Honestly, to me, it’s about protecting the roster and protecting through that portal period.”
Asked if there would be a spring game with a scrimmage format to wrap up spring practices, Rhule said: “I don’t know that yet, but I’ll be honest with you, I highly doubt it.”
He said he does want to “show off” the program’s current players to the fans in some fashion. Nebraska thletic director Troy Dannen said on his radio show last week that an event of some type would be held April 26, possibly one that involves football and other fall sports.