College Football Recruiting: Spring Jamboree Would Open New Doors for Recruiting

College football programs typically work wonders with their intrasquad spring games. Not only do the student body and fans get a chance to come to life months before the season kicks off, but it also gives coaching staffs the opportunity to show off for potential incoming recruits.

But what if teams were allowed to scrimmage other teams rather than just their own squads?

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has been a staunch advocate of this possibility and brought it up again just yesterday. While the concept is simple—have the option to play a traditional intrasquad scrimmage or play an out-of-conference team within a reasonable driving distance—it is centered solely around generating money.

There is more to it than that, though, at least in respect to what coaches could accomplish from such a game.

Teams would still have to work to get a recruit to attend the game, but there is the potential to reach double the amount of eyes. 

Michael Carvell of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hypothesizes what it would be like for teams such as North Carolina and South Carolina to square off in a spring scrimmage. Or Oklahoma-Nebraska. Or Texas A&M and Texas.

As he says, "Would you be tempted to attend one of those scrimmages if they were held this spring?"

More importantly, would recruits?

Although improbable, a spring scrimmage against another team would open a plethora of new opportunities to programs in the recruiting world. These scrimmages wouldn't just be scrimmages; they'd be full-fledged games that just happen to be played four months before the season starts and don't count against the record.

Nearly every player on the field will be out there to earn a spot on the team, whether starting or reserve, and we know there would be no shortage of effort.

Coaching staffs would be able to focus attention on showing potential recruits how things are done before, during and after a game within the program. Since the outcome has no impact on anything legitimate, coaches would be able to explain things more thoroughly. That wouldn't be the case during the regular season.

Scrimmages against other teams is something done in nearly every other sport. Heck, even the NFL pulls it off from time to time during training camp.

If college football were to ever adapt and bring this possibility to life, recruiting would benefit as much as anything else.

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