Florida leaves out-of-area fans stranded again with spring game decision

Last year, Florida opted not to televise its spring game. It felt shortsighted and silly, and the claim is that it was largely done under the cloak of paranoia as teams were worried about getting players poached in the spring transfer portal. The theory is that by not putting it on TV, it could better protect teams from watchful eyes trying to swoop in at the end of spring practice.

Mind you, the theory didn’t work, as Florida still had players leave via the spring transfer portal.

But now that the spring transfer portal has been eliminated, that means the game will be back on TV this weekend, right?

Right.....?

Florida’s spring game will not be on TV

Florida has been somewhat mum and unclear on this to the public, but this Saturday’s spring game will once again not be on TV. And unlike last year, when Florida at least tried to offer an excuse, the powers that be are just kind of hoping no one notices.

Mind you, when Florida first announced the spring game back in January, its press release stated: “Additional details about the game, including streaming and broadcast information and fan initiatives, will be announced at a later date.”

The three primary arguments as to why Florida might not be incentivized to air their spring game are:

1. Other teams might see stuff the Gators would rather keep under wraps.
2. There isn’t enough fan interest to justify the production.
3. Putting the game on TV takes away the incentive for fans to go to the game itself.

The first argument is just plain silly, as the only program that might have motivations to peek in on Florida would be Auburn, Florida’s first SEC opponent, and if the Tigers were desperate enough, they could just have a staff member make the drive to Gainesville.

The second argument aligns with the direction college football as a whole is heading. If we are being fair, there are very few spring games around the country set to be televised. But Georgia and Texas A&M have figured it out, and are we really supposed to believe fan interest is a real excuse when one ganders at 75% of the stuff that airs on ESPN+. On ESPN+ this weekend, you can watch Dartmouth vs Harvard in Rowing, Radford vs Longwood in Softball, or Buffalo vs Toledo in Tennis, but apparently, the spring game is too much.

Whatever the reason, it brings us to the third argument and why it's the fans who suffer. Not everyone can make it to Gainesville this weekend. Some might have a soccer tournament to attend, some might have a birthday party to attend, some might live too far away from Gainesville to make the drive, or some might just want to watch the game back and break down all the new players Florida has ahead of the 2026 season. 

Because do spring game results automaticaly translate into what things will look like in the regular season? No, no they don't. There are plenty of spring game heroes who go on to be duds.

But at the bare minimum it's a nice way to get familiar with the roster and enjoy an April afternoon of football. And sometimes those spring game stars do turn into the real things (Jadan Baugh and Dallas Wilson come to mind).

For the casual Gator fans out there, not getting to watch the spring game isn’t a big deal. But for the dedicated ones out there who can’t make it to Gainesville, the spring game always felt like a bridge from the offseason to summer to get everyone one step closer to the real thing.

And restricting access only disenfranchises those fans.