Spring Game Dates, Times and TV Options for Every Top 25 Team
Across the United States, the first official week of spring is unfolding. However, spring football is in full swing around the nation and, in some cases, is already winding down or finished. Friday night, Vanderbilt held its spring football game, and BYU followed on Saturday.
Ten schools will hold spring games this upcoming weekend, with games spread out through April 30. While spring games aren’t the most exciting events on the sports calendar, they’re a chance for programs to connect with their fans and also show (a little of) what they’re working on for the season with new players in new roles.
Here’s a look at the dates, times and ways you can view spring games online or on television for every member of the preseason Top 25. To create this ranking, we created a composite ranking of seven “early” Top 25 polls, including Bleacher Report’s. Check it out, and enjoy spring football games as they unfold!
Teams that have not released broadcast details for their games are listed as "TBA."
25. UCLA
1 of 25
2015 was a disappointment for UCLA. Following consecutive 10-win seasons, the Bruins slipped to 8-5. Coach Jim Mora Jr. hopes for more in 2015, although top offensive contributors Paul Perkins and Jordan Payton are gone.
One reason for hope? Talented quarterback Josh Rosen, who had some special moments while starting as a true freshman. With another spring under his belt, it’ll be fascinating to see how he develops. We’ll get a look at how much Rosen has improved in the spring game April 23.
Date: April 23 at 2:30 p.m. ET
TV Option: Pac-12 Network Los Angeles
24. Miami
2 of 25
This spring is all about a fresh start in Coral Gables. Following four-plus seasons of mediocre results, Miami finally had enough of Al Golden, with the nadir a 58-0 program-worst home loss to Clemson that dropped the Hurricanes to 4-3. Miami fired Golden the following day and was very happy with how its search unfolded.
Following the end of the regular season, Georgia parted ways with Mark Richt after 15 campaigns and a three-year stretch away from the SEC title game. Richt, a former Miami quarterback, was more than pleased to land with his alma mater. This spring, he’s begun putting his stamp on the program, and Miami fans will get their first look on April 16.
Date: April 16 at 2 p.m. ET
TV Option: ESPN3
23. Georgia
3 of 25
This has been a very different spring in Athens. Mark Richt is gone following 15 mostly very good seasons that ended with the Bulldogs dipping below acceptable standards and out of the SEC title game. Former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is now in charge and hopes to prove himself as the latest Nick Saban lieutenant capable of running his own program.
Newness abounds with Smart’s staff, but one of the most intriguing storylines is true freshman quarterback Jacob Eason. Will he be able to do enough this spring to wrest the starting role away from incumbent Greyson Lambert? UGA fans will get their first extended look at Eason and the new-look Dawgs on April 16.
Date: April 16 at 4 p.m. ET
TV Option: ESPNU
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22. Washington
4 of 25
Washington’s football fortunes could be on the rise this fall. In two seasons, Chris Petersen’s record with the Huskies is an unimpressive 15-12. However, 2016’s ceiling is high. Washington returns 15 starters from a 7-6 team that will be trending upward in the Pac-12.
Quarterback Jake Browning is one of the nation’s most promising young passers and threw for 2,955 yards with 16 touchdowns against 10 interceptions last fall. Freshman tailback Myles Gaskin was very impressive, rushing for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns in his college debut. Huskies fans will get a good look at their team during the spring game on April 23.
Date: April 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TV Option: Pac-12 Network Washington
21. Louisville
5 of 25
There are plenty of reasons for optimism as Bobby Petrino begins the third season of his second stint as Louisville’s head football coach. In two seasons, Petrino and the Cardinals are 17-9, including an 8-5 finish in 2015. However, 18 starters return from that group.
This spring will be more about polishing and pushing the returnees to challenge Clemson and Florida State in the ACC Atlantic than new schemes and newcomers. West Virginia assistant Lonnie Galloway is the new offensive coordinator, replacing Garrick McGee, who left for Illinois. But this is Petrino’s offensive system, and it’ll be interesting to see if quarterback Lamar Jackson can take a leap forward in his second season in the offense.
Date: April 16 at noon ET
TV Option: TBA
20. North Carolina
6 of 25
2015 was a year to remember for North Carolina. Following a 6-7 season, the Tar Heels suffered an ugly season-opening loss to South Carolina and didn’t lose again until they were back in Bank of America Stadium for the ACC title game. Still, there’s no shame in losing to Clemson or to Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
That success had a price. Offensive coordinator Seth Littrell left to become the North Texas head coach, but coach Larry Fedora promoted offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic to Littrell’s old role. Don’t expect much to change with the offensive system, but we’ll get our first look at Mitch Trubisky as the new starting quarterback in the spring game.
Date: April 16 at 3 p.m. ET
TV Option: TBA
19. Oklahoma State
7 of 25
Oklahoma State had a special 2015 season, and Mike Gundy should be excited about where the Cowboys are headed this fall. OSU began 2015 10-0 before losing its final three games, including a Sugar Bowl blowout at Ole Miss’ hands, but he returns 17 starters.
Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah declared for the NFL draft, but a high-powered offense keyed by emerging star Mason Rudolph returns 10 starters, with wide receiver David Glidden the only loss. The offense will surely put on a show during the spring game, set for April 16.
Date: April 16 at 2 p.m. ET
TV Option: TBA
18. Oregon
8 of 25
Oregon took a slight step back last fall following the departure of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, finishing 9-4 after blowing a 31-0 Alamo Bowl lead to TCU. The Ducks were electric when graduate transfer quarterback Vernon Adams was healthy, and they hope to duplicate that success with another transfer this fall.
They return 11 starters but spent this spring breaking in two new coordinators. Offensive coordinator Scott Frost left to become Central Florida’s head coach, and defensive coordinator Don Pellum was demoted after Oregon allowed 37.9 points per game. New offensive coordinator Matt Lubick will work with Montana State transfer Dakota Prukop, and former Michigan coach Brady Hoke is spending his first spring as the new defensive coordinator. Will we see much change? Find out April 30.
Date: April 30 at 2 p.m. ET
TV Option: Pac-12 Network
17. Southern California
9 of 25
For Clay Helton, this spring is a time to savor. Helton is spending his first spring as the head coach at Southern California, a job he earned by guiding the Trojans to the Pac-12 South title following head coach Steve Sarkisian’s departure. Division titles are not the standard success is judged by in Troy, but it was a nice start.
Helton can build on that with 14 returning starters. The defensive line will be exceedingly young, and one of the biggest priorities of spring is finding a replacement for graduated quarterback Cody Kessler. Max Browne and Sam Darnold have battled for the job this spring, and the spring game will be an excellent chance for both to make their case for the job come fall.
Date: April 16 at 6 p.m. ET
TV Option: TBA
16. Iowa
10 of 25
Last spring at this time, Iowa was well off the college football radar. A highly disappointing 7-6 season will do that. Kirk Ferentz’s program put itself back off the map with a 12-0 regular season and a Big Ten West title. While a Big Ten title game loss to Michigan State and a Rose Bowl blowout at Stanford’s hands ended the season on a sour note, there are reasons for excitement in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes return 14 starters, including talented, mobile quarterback C.J. Beathard and senior cornerback Desmond King. How will all the new pieces fit in? Iowa fans will get a look under the lights at Kinnick Stadium on April 23.
Date: April 23 (TBA)
TV Option: TBA
15. TCU
11 of 25
It’s a new era at TCU. Quarterback Trevone Boykin, along with the Air Raid offense, revitalized the Horned Frogs program, keying a 23-3 run over the last two seasons. Boykin has graduated, handing the offensive keys to Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill.
TCU returns just three offensive starters, so this spring will be key in getting all the new pieces moving the same way at the same time. Co-offensive coordinators Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham have a big task on their hands, and fans can get a gauge of their progress during the spring game Friday, April 1.
Date: April 1 at 7 p.m. ET
TV Option: TBA
14. Ole Miss
12 of 25
Ole Miss ended 2015 on a major high. The Rebels routed Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl to complete a 10-3 season that also saw them upend eventual national champion Alabama in Tuscaloosa and extend their winning streak over the Crimson Tide to two years.
A new year features plenty of new faces in Oxford, though. Only eight starters return, with offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wideout Laquon Treadwell and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche gone to the NFL (and all potential first-round selections). Quarterback Chad Kelly does return for his senior season, and he’ll have to adjust to new offensive weapons. However, if you want to get a look at the Rebels, you’ll have to wait until September. Ole Miss has scrapped its spring game for this season.
13. Michigan State
13 of 25
2015 was a breakthrough season for Mark Dantonio and Michigan State. The Spartans vanquished Ohio State in Columbus, scored a late touchdown to beat Iowa in the Big Ten title game and made the program’s first College Football Playoff. A 38-0 Cotton Bowl loss to eventual national champion Alabama was painful, but spring is a time for Dantonio and Co. to build the blocks for another playoff run.
They have some work to do. Just nine starters return, and Dantonio must identify a replacement for quarterback Connor Cook and talented left tackle Jack Conklin, who left early for the NFL. The annual spring game will be an excellent gauge of just how much progress the Spartans have made.
Date: April 23 at 3 p.m. ET
TV Option: Big Ten Network
12. Houston
14 of 25
No new head coach had a better first year than Tom Herman did at Houston last fall. The Cougars were loaded with talent but just needed something to wake them up. That something was Herman. Houston finished 13-1 and capped the season by beating Florida State in the Peach Bowl. What will Herman do for an encore? Make a run at the College Football Playoff.
Houston has some holes to fill in spring practice, including both starting offensive tackles and three members of the starting secondary, as well as wideout Demarcus Ayers and tailback Kenneth Farrow. Mobile quarterback Greg Ward Jr. (who threw for 2,828 yards with 17 touchdowns against six interceptions and was also Houston’s leading rusher with 1,108 yards and 21 scores on the ground) is back, and that’s hugely important. We’ll get a good look at how much progress Herman has made in the spring game April 16.
Date: April 16 at 3 p.m. ET
TV Option: College Sports Live (online)
11. Tennessee
15 of 25
Butch Jones has Tennessee on the right track. The Volunteers are dark-horse College Football Playoff contenders following consecutive winning seasons, and they finished 2015 9-4 following an Outback Bowl rout of Northwestern. And 2016 shapes up as a potentially special season. Seventeen starters returned from a roster that matured greatly over the last two seasons.
Jones upgraded his defensive staff, firing defensive coordinator John Jancek and luring Bob Shoop away from Penn State as his replacement. That’s a huge get, and one of the biggest spring storylines will be how much the Vols defense has improved with Shoop in charge. We’ll get a look April 16.
Date: April 16 at 2 p.m. ET
TV Option: SEC Network
10. Stanford
16 of 25
2015 was a return to form for Stanford. The Cardinal rebounded from an 8-5 season with their third Pac-12 title in four seasons, finishing 12-2 and capping the season with a Rose Bowl rout of Iowa. Coach David Shaw and his staff have some work to do this spring. Stanford returns 11 starters, including Heisman Trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey.
But one of spring’s most important storylines will be replacing veteran quarterback Kevin Hogan under center. Stanford must also replace linebacker Blake Martinez, the team’s leading tackler. When the Cardinal hold their spring game April 9, we’ll see if anyone has a leg up on filling those crucial roles.
Date: April 9 at 4 p.m. ET
TV Option: Pac-12 Network
9. Notre Dame
17 of 25
At Notre Dame, teams are measured by higher standards than 10-win seasons, but 2015 was worth celebrating. The Fighting Irish’s only regular-season losses came by a combined four points to Clemson and Stanford, although the season ended with a Fiesta Bowl rout at Ohio State’s hands.
Coach Brian Kelly will sort through his share of intrigue this spring. He must identify replacements for NFL-bound stars such as linebacker Jaylon Smith, tailback C.J. Prosise and wide receiver Will Fuller. But all Irish eyes are locked on the quarterback battle between Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer. The spring game could be very telling on that front.
Date: April 16 at 12:30 p.m. ET
TV Option: NBC Sports Network
8. Ohio State
18 of 25
Spring is all about finding out how new pieces fit in, and that will certainly be the case for Ohio State and Urban Meyer in 2016. The Buckeyes are coming off a 12-1 season, with only a last-second loss to Michigan State separating them from another College Football Playoff berth. But they were ravaged by NFL draft departures, with nine juniors, led by defensive end Joey Bosa and tailback Ezekiel Elliott, turning pro.
Only eight starters return, making spring a crucial time for players to jockey for newly open spots. Quarterback J.T. Barrett will provide a veteran presence, but the spring game set for April 16 should be fascinating. Who’ll step forward and earn Meyer’s trust? Tune in and see.
Date: April 16 at 1:30 p.m. ET
TV Option: Big Ten Network
7. Baylor
19 of 25
Baylor will be healthier this spring following a 10-win 2015 season that could have been so much more if not for season-ending injuries to quarterbacks Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham. Both Russell and Stidham are healthy this spring, but coach Art Briles now has other issues to deal with.
Baylor must replace four starting offensive linemen, including standout offensive tackle Spencer Drango. Explosive wide receiver Corey Coleman also took his game to the NFL, but deep threat KD Cannon is an excellent bet to replace him as Russell’s top target. Want to see how the Bears offense will look? Too bad. Baylor is not holding a spring game, opting to hold an open practice that will not be televised.
Date: April 2 at 1 p.m. ET
TV Option: N/A
6. LSU
20 of 25
Les Miles nearly lost his job after LSU endured a three-game losing streak in November 2015, but cooler heads prevailed, and the grass-chomping coach will still be stalking the sidelines in Tiger Stadium this fall. Smart move. LSU is poised to be a College Football Playoff contender, with 18 returning starters.
They’re led by electric, powerful tailback Leonard Fournette. Only the cancellation of the 2015 season opener against McNeese State due to storms kept him from rushing for 2,000 yards as a sophomore, and he’s a strong bet to surpass that mark and contend for the Heisman Trophy as a junior.
Fournette might not carry much in the spring game April 16, but one of the biggest storylines will be the performance of Dave Aranda’s defense. LSU hired Aranda from Wisconsin after defensive coordinator Kevin Steele bolted for Auburn. Is it an upgrade? We’ll see.
Date: April 16 at 4 p.m. ET
TV Option: SEC Network
5. Florida State
21 of 25
If you wanted to get your licks in on Florida State, the time might have already passed. The Seminoles lost three games in 2015, but they return 17 starters, including all 11 on offense. Redshirt freshman Deondre Francois will push starting quarterback Sean Maguire for his role, but the offense will be explosive.
Tailback Dalvin Cook is one of the nation’s most explosive runners, a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns last season while battling through nagging leg injuries. A healthy Cook will challenge for the Heisman Trophy. There are questions in the secondary thanks to cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s early NFL draft departure, but Jimbo Fisher’s group hopes to answer them on the road when FSU holds its spring game in Orlando (the same place it’ll open the season against Ole Miss).
Date: April 9 at 3 p.m. ET
TV Option: ESPN3
4. Michigan
22 of 25
It’s hard to imagine that Jim Harbaugh’s debut season at Michigan could have gone much better. (Well, other than that whole blocked punt against Michigan State and the rout at archrival Ohio State’s hands, of course.) But it’s tough to argue with a 10-3 season that ended with a 41-7 Citrus Bowl rout of Florida, given the morass the program had sunk into under Brady Hoke’s watch.
The Wolverines return 15 starters, and one of the biggest question marks of spring will be the derby to replace graduated starter Jake Rudock at quarterback. Houston transfer John O’Korn is the favorite, and he’ll get the opportunity to shine under the lights at the Big House on April 1, capping a spring that also saw the Wolverines practice for a week in Florida and take a workout on Detroit's Ford Field.
“It had something to it," Harbaugh told Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press. "Friday Night Lights. Do it under the lights, a night game, not the stale 12 o’clock noon spring game. Something different. Why not?”
Date: April 1 at 6 p.m. ET
TV Option: Big Ten Network
3. Oklahoma
23 of 25
If you thought Bob Stoops had lost his way at Oklahoma, 2015 was conclusive proof that he hasn’t. The Sooners rebounded from a disappointing 2014 season with an 11-2 record that included a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth. The challenge now? Building on that success. Oklahoma returns 14 starters, including quarterback Baker Mayfield and talented backfield duo Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon but must find a new No. 1 receiver following Sterling Shepard’s graduation.
How will Mayfield mesh with his new targets? We’ll have a better idea after the Sooners' spring game on April 9. Rest assured that offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley will give him plenty of great options. The spring game should be an excellent preview.
Date: April 9 at 3 p.m. ET
TV Option: Fox Sports Oklahoma
2. Clemson
24 of 25
2015 was the kind of season that Clemson supporters have been waiting on for a long time. Dabo Swinney and Co. finally broke through on the national level, winning an ACC title and beginning the season 14-0 before falling to Alabama, 45-40, in the national title game. What do the Tigers do for an encore?
Nine starters from an explosive offense return, including quarterback Deshaun Watson (who became the first player in FBS history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season), and receiver Mike Williams, who redshirted after suffering a broken bone in his neck on the season’s first drive, does too.
But defensive coordinator Brent Venables has a serious task after six defenders, led by cornerback Mackensie Alexander and defensive end Shaq Lawson, declared for the NFL draft. Clemson returns three defensive starters, and the spring game will be a great guidepost to how much progress Venables has made with his new group this spring.
Date: April 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET
TV Option: ESPN3
1. Alabama
25 of 25
It’s a pretty typical spring in Alabama. Crimson Tide fans are savoring another national title under Nick Saban’s watch (the fourth in nine seasons), but Saban and his staff also have holes to fill along the front lines. Alabama will return 11 starters but has key vacancies. That’s nothing new, of course, and the Tide will tap into their strong recruiting classes this spring.
One of the most interesting battles will be to replace Jake Coker at quarterback, with redshirt freshman Blake Barnett facing Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell. Will Bo Scarbrough step forward to be the man in the backfield with Derrick Henry gone to the NFL? And will Jonathan Allen be ready to carry a bigger load on the defensive line?
We’ll see if we get answers for these questions at Alabama’s A-Day spring game on April 16.
Date: April 16 at 3 p.m. ET
TV Option: ESPN
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