College Football Spring Practice 2011: Best Spring Games To Attend
Sure, all eyes of college athletics world are currently fixed on the NCAA Tournament, and rightfully so. (After all, March Madness is arguably the most exciting and entertaining event in American sports each year.)
But once the field of 68 has been whittled down to one, the focus will shift—as it always does—to another popular rite of the spring: scrimmages!
Just about every school with enough healthy scholarship athletes concludes its allotment of 15 spring practices with—what else?—a spring game.
For some schools, these games amount to lightly-attended practices with more plays and fewer drills.
For others, the annual spring game is a spectacle in and of itself, accompanied by a degree fanfare and pageantry that rivals most real college football games.
As such, for those of you perusing the nation for something fun to do in April—or for any college football fan in general—here's a look at some of the best spring games to attend in 2011.
Florida, April 9th
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The spring game season officially begins in March, but the meat of the schedule doesn't get underway until early April.
And, boy, does it get underway in a big way.
Four SEC teams will pit offense against defense on the second Saturday in April, with Florida hosting perhaps the most interesting affair.
The Gators drew approximately 51,500 fans to the Orange and Blue in Gainesville in 2010 and should see similar attendance numbers for the conclusion of the team's first round of practices under new head coach Will Muschamp, especially with Charlie Weis guiding the offense against Dan Quinn's defense.
South Carolina, April 9th
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That very same day, in the very same division in the SEC, South Carolina will showcase its 2011 squad in the Scarlet and Gray game.
The Gamecocks should improve significantly on the 22,000 fans they drew in 2010, as Steve Spurrier's squad is coming off an appearance in the conference title game and is favored to return this season.
Stephen Garcia will likely get the nod to start, but watch out for sophomore Connor Shaw, who just might usurp the inconsistent and oft-troubled Garcia by the time April 9th rolls around.
LSU, April 9th
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LSU drew numbers similar to those of South Carolina at its spring game last year—23,000 as opposed to 22,000 for the Gamecocks—and should see a similar increase this year.
After all, the Tigers are one of the pre-season favorites to win the 2012 BCS National Championship, with 15 starters returning from last year's 11-2 Cotton Bowl champions.
Keep an eye on LSU's quarterback situation during the National L Club Spring Game, as Les Miles may still be without a definitive starter by then between seniors Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee and junior college transfer Zach Mettenberger.
And for those of you who can't make it to Baton Rouge for the festivities, never fear; you can catch all of the action on ESPN at 3 PM Eastern.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Auburn, April 16th
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Not to overdo it with the SEC teams, but it's tough to deny that most of the best spring games take place in the South.
Auburn's spring game will be sight to see, even (and perhaps especially) without Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. Now, it may be difficult to expect a crowd bigger than the mob of 63,217 that showed up at Jordan-Hare Stadium last year on April 17th.
Then again, the Tigers are coming off a BCS title in just their second season with Gene Chizik as the head coach, so things could be a bit raucous regardless.
It also helps that the Tigers are a pre-season pick for the top 25, with running back and national championship hero Michael Dyer set for a big season in 2011. Of course, the Tigers will need a pretty fantastic effort from new starting quarterback Barrett Trotter to come anywhere close to their accomplishments from 2010.
But, for now, there will be plenty of fans singing "War Eagle" in Auburn come mid-April.
Alabama, April 16th
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Of course, Auburn would've had its spring game broadcast on national television this year if not for its biggest rival.
That's right. Alabama gets the privilege of having its spring contest shown to the world on ESPNU on A-Day. And for good reason.
The Crimson Tide led everyone and their mother in spring game attendance last year, packing a whopping 91,312 fans into Bryant-Denny Stadium for a 23-17 victory for the White team.
Tough as it may be for the Tide to bring in numbers like that this time around even without Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Marcell Dareus, Nick Saban's squad is still expected to be among the best in the nation, which should be enough to keep a few people in Tuscaloosa interested.
Florida State, April 16th
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Ok, enough with the SEC.
Not that Florida State is all that far removed from the nation's best football conference—being based in Tallahassee and all. That certainly bodes well for the atmosphere at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles drew a fantastic crowd for Jimbo Fisher's first Garnet and Gold game, as 51,000 fans passed through the turnstiles to ring in the post-Bobby Bowden era.
Expect those numbers to improve in 2011 for the 'Noles' first-ever nationally-broadcast spring game, especially now that FSU is predicted to be back in the national championship hunt for the first time in nearly a decade.
Notre Dame, April 16th
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Needless to say, April 16th will be replete with spring games for storied programs, not the least of which will be played in South Bend.
The 82nd edition of Notre Dame's Blue-Gold spring game will be the first to find its way to the national airwaves, via Versus, not that such should do much to harm the attendance numbers.
The Irish showed some encouraging signs of life in 2010 in Brian Kelly's first season at the helm, which should warrant the presence of more than 27,241 fans (which is how many people showed up at Notre Dame Stadium last spring to see Dayne Crist and company take the field.)
Now, if Crist comes back healthy for 2011, the Irish should be in good shape to put on a show for the fans before embarking on another harrowing campaign.
Nebraska, April 16th
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Some would argue that Notre Dame should have joined the Big Ten amidst the flurry of moves this past summer.
Either way, Nebraska will take its first snaps as a member of the Big Ten, albeit against its own defense, on April 16th when the Cornhuskers take the field for the Red-White game.
And, if last season's crowd of 77,936 people is any indication, all of Lincoln will be out in full force to see last year's Big 12 North champions show off their skills at Memorial Stadium.
Ohio State, April 23rd
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Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Ohio State will emerge for its spring game on April 23rd with plenty of questions to answer.
The Buckeyes can certainly bring in 65,223 fans as they did in 2010—especially considering that number was more than 30,000 fewer than the attendance at the Scarlet and Gray game in 2009.
Whoever ends up coming out isn't likely to see too much of Terrelle Pryor or Dan Herron, as they are among the group of players who will be held out of the first five games of the Buckeyes' season per an NCAA-sanctioned suspension.
And now that Jim Tressel will be gone for OSU's first five games of the 2011 season as well, look for the patented sweater vest to be out in full force at the Horseshoe in April.
Oregon, April 30th
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The last day of spring games for 2011 should be a doozy, especially with 2011 BCS runner-up Oregon quacking about at Autzen Stadium on April 30th.
Which of their seemingly endless combination of jerseys they'll wear is nearly impossible to predict.
What is predictable is how to watch the game—as those who can't make the trek to Eugene will still get to see Darron Thomas, LaMichael James and the rest of the Ducks flying in formation on ESPN2.
And while Chip Kelly's crew isn't likely to attract nearly as many fans as its SEC and Big Ten counterparts, since managing "only" 25,000 spectators after playing in the 2010 Rose Bowl, the Ducks should nonetheless put on quite a show as they take the field to honor the nation's military servicemen and women.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
