Would a preseason game in college football benefit the Florida Gators?
By Will Thomas
Everyone will benefit from a preseason game.
Coaches, players, fans, everyone.
Coaches get to see how their guys play against a different team. Players get to prove themselves early. Fans get to watch more of their team.
Sure, teams already have a spring game that can give everyone a glimpse into how they’ll play and who their key guys will be, but the spring game has a few flaws.
For starters, it’s very casual with coaches on the field and alum appearances within the games. You also aren’t allowed to hit QBs (which I agree with as the right decision) but it makes it feel less like a real football game.
Most teams don’t have their full team present during spring games either. For example, new WR Ricky Pearsall wasn’t on the team for the spring game, so we haven’t seen him in full pads yet.
Younger guys on the team would also love a preseason game. Lots of times, true freshman and sophomores don’t get game action unless it’s in a blowout against an FCS school. Getting into action against another good team, without a real game on the line, would benefit those guys a lot.
Better competition means better preparation
Everyone knows how important it is to be well prepared, especially in football. So many things could go wrong from penalties, to missed blocking assignments and blown coverages. These mistakes can get guys seriously hurt on a football field.
Being un-prepared can also make a football game unbearable to watch. Remember in 2019 when the Florida Gators played Miami to open up the season?
That was one of the worst games of all time.
That was a de-facto “preseason game” as it was moved up a week from the true week one, but didn’t have the effect that a real preseason game could have.
If the Gators had played a different school a week or two prior to UM, and got to play in a game environment, that game likely would’ve been a lot prettier.
It won’t really be that hard to pull off
No need to schedule games across the country with a long flight and travel issues. Just drive over to a P5 school close to you and line it up.
The Gators could play UCF or FSU and be home by dinner.
It’s also a great way to get fans out to the stadium and build hype around your program. Tell me you wouldn’t watch UF and FSU throw their 3rd and 4th string players at each other for an entire half of football.
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