Several years ago, I asked an official at the Premier League what it would take to play games, or even expand and add franchises in the United States. “A first mover with a huge amount of money and motivation,” he said at the time. There were other challenges over 15 years ago, ones which are slowly eroding away as the audience gets bigger, the need for ancillary revenue becomes more important and the world, at least the sports world gets smaller. We have seen other challenges to bring the best of what is over there to here… La Liga challenges and fails to get approval to play regular season matches in the US, the FA Cup still trying to see what commercial interest there would be to play the final abroad and so on. Some, like Legue 1, have moved their championship abroad with various levels of success, but most are still waiting for the commercial dollars and the ability to have governing bodies see value.
Now we have seen the U.S. take much of the best of American sport and move it elsewhere at least for regular season, the latest being MLB in Japan just last week. Great for the game, great for the fans, extends the commercial value just like it has with MLB elsewhere, the NBA, the NHL, and the NFL.
Even with all that thought of over there, there is still value in season extensions over here, and the first salvo of one took place on Friday. It was an idea that a high ranking college official I know floated to me a few years ago. “Why are we playing meaningless spring football games when we can play one game that can really be valuable in the offseason.”
Colorado and Coach Prime, meet Syracuse. It was announced Friday…on a day when many were focused on March Madness, that the two schools will play each other in a spring game potentially, a first idea whispered for years but now may finally happen. The reasons and potential are grand. Help with the transfer portal, NIL extensions, showcasing the program, brand partnerships extended and on and on. In a business of follow the leader this will probably be a first, but not a last. A controlled event to change the landscape of spring practice, and follow the lead of the NFL, which has taken the spring and created events…the Combine, the Draft, offseason workouts, into “things” for brands looking for more extensions, for fans and media partners looking for more content and on and on.
Think about what my colleague had said, and Coach Prime has pushed through the door. Michigan and Ohio State playing a spring game with a brand partner with a broadcast and maybe even with a cause marketing component. A controlled scrimmage to showcase and remind everyone of the power of college football somewhere before semesters end, if that even matters, and after March Madness. On campus, for your fans. Go one step further. Duke and North Carolina play a college hoops game later in the summer after workouts, for charity to fill the Dean Dome and set up the semester. Heck, the athletes are there any way in the summer now.
Added revenue, added exposure, a chance to fill the endless NIL coffer if you choose etc. etc. One more step if not for the bigger rivals. For schools looking to add a pay day, how about a non-Big Four Conference with a spring game against a bigger school as well? Added revenue and at say, Nebraska, 70k show up for the spring game anyway.
The traditionalists will complain, the voices will worry, the veterans will see issues, but the bottom line is if it can raise value, revenue and interest for events already scheduled, why not. Dollars drive, and maybe in the case of the spring game, it gives even the biggest schools the chance to address things like stabilizing the transfer portal in some way.
It won’t be for everyone, but Coach Prime has found another way to rearrange the college football furniture. More will follow the lead probably. If not, kudos on this one for giving it a shot. Let’s see where it goes.
What’s good over there can be showcased over here.
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