Brian Kelly reveals why LSU football adjusted its 2025 spring game format.

As college football continues to evolve, so do the strategies surrounding spring practice and the traditional spring game. At LSU, head coach Brian Kelly has taken a step toward reshaping the spring game format for 2025, adjusting it to better suit the needs of his team while responding to broader changes in the college football landscape. Kelly, who joined LSU in 2022, has always emphasized player development and team-building over public spectacle. His decision to adjust the spring game format reflects a deeper understanding of the evolving dynamics of college football, where the traditional spring game may no longer serve its intended purpose.

The spring game, historically an opportunity for fans to get a sneak peek at the upcoming season, has always been a showcase for the program’s talent. But in recent years, its role has come into question. With the rise of the transfer portal, player mobility, and a shift toward more controlled and intentional development of young talent, coaches are reevaluating how best to use the limited time available in spring practices. Brian Kelly’s decision to adjust LSU’s spring game format is a reflection of this broader trend, and it’s one that has significant implications for the future of college football spring games across the country.

The Traditional Spring Game Format and Its Limitations

Spring games have long been a tradition in college football, providing teams with an opportunity to simulate a game-like environment while giving fans a chance to get excited about the upcoming season. Typically, these events are structured like an intrasquad scrimmage, with the team split into two sides (often “team white” and “team purple” in LSU’s case), competing in a relatively low-stakes environment.

The primary objective of the spring game has always been to allow coaches to assess players in a game-like setting while also giving younger players a chance to showcase their skills. However, Brian Kelly identified several limitations with the traditional format. The primary issue Kelly pointed out is that these games often fail to provide equal playing time for all players, particularly the younger and less experienced ones.

In traditional spring games, the starting lineup often receives the majority of the reps, while backups and younger players—who are crucial to the team’s long-term success—might not get as many opportunities. This lack of playing time for emerging talent could stunt the growth of players who need as much development as possible before the season kicks off. Additionally, for teams like LSU, which consistently recruits elite talent, the spring game may not be the best method to evaluate the team’s overall depth and potential.

Brian Kelly made it clear that his focus was not on showcasing the team’s stars or putting on a fan-friendly spectacle, but on fostering the development of every player on the roster. Kelly’s adjustment of the spring game format is a calculated decision to prioritize team-wide player development over the typical fan-centric event.

A Shift Toward Situational Drills and Specialized Scrimmaging

In his remarks, Kelly emphasized that the traditional format of the spring game—essentially a mock game with two teams—is not the best method for evaluating players or developing skills. Instead, Kelly proposed breaking down the spring game into more specialized segments, focusing on situational drills and live scrimmages. This adjustment would allow for a more targeted evaluation of player abilities in various game scenarios, including red zone situations, special teams drills, and situational plays.

Kelly has long been known for his meticulous attention to detail and his commitment to player development. His approach to the 2025 spring game reflects this. Rather than simply running a regular scrimmage, Kelly’s modified format is designed to provide a comprehensive, nuanced evaluation of his players’ abilities in various critical areas of the game. By structuring the event around these key situational drills, LSU’s coaching staff can assess how players perform in real-game situations, which better prepares them for the upcoming season.

Kelly outlined that the new format would feature live scrimmaging but would be broken up into specific drills, including red zone scenarios and special teams. The focus on special teams is especially significant, as Kelly recognizes that often this phase of the game is overlooked during traditional spring games, even though it can be the difference-maker in tight games during the regular season.

By creating these segmented practices, Kelly gives players more exposure to different game situations, ensuring that the entire roster, not just the first-team players, gets the opportunity to perform under pressure. This change is particularly important for young or less experienced players who may otherwise find it difficult to get meaningful reps in a traditional game setting.

Player Development: The Core Motivation

At the heart of Kelly’s decision to modify the spring game format is his focus on player development. Since arriving at LSU, Kelly has been transparent about his approach to building a winning program: he prioritizes development over the flashy, surface-level aspects of college football. Kelly wants to ensure that every player, especially the younger or less experienced ones, gets the chance to develop their skills and prove themselves in front of the coaching staff.

In particular, Kelly sees the spring game as a key opportunity to evaluate young talent. With the turnover LSU faces each year due to graduation and the NFL draft, ensuring that emerging players are ready to step up when needed is crucial. The 2025 spring game format is designed to give these younger players the exposure they need to show what they can do in specific game situations.

As Kelly explained, “It’s important that all players get reps, and I wanted to make sure that we could structure the spring game in a way that gave every player an opportunity to prove themselves.” This statement highlights Kelly’s unwavering commitment to player development and his belief that a well-rounded team is key to sustained success.

Addressing the Transfer Portal and Player Movement

Another factor influencing Kelly’s decision to adjust the spring game format is the impact of the transfer portal on college football. The portal has changed the way college football programs recruit and manage their rosters. With players increasingly transferring in and out of programs, it’s essential for coaches to evaluate their rosters continuously, ensuring that the players they have are developing and improving over time.

While Kelly has dismissed concerns that changes to the spring game format are an attempt to limit player exposure to other programs, he acknowledges the importance of maintaining a focus on player development rather than trying to showcase players to attract attention. Coaches across the country are grappling with the reality that the transfer portal allows for greater player movement than ever before. Kelly, however, doesn’t believe that players should be evaluated solely based on what they do in spring games.

As Kelly stated, “If you’re going to lose a player, it’s not because of what they put on film in the spring. It’s because of what’s happened throughout the entire semester or year.” This comment underscores Kelly’s belief that the spring game is just one piece of the puzzle, and player development is a year-round process. He’s not concerned with using the spring game as a tool to protect LSU’s roster from transfer portal tampering; instead, he’s focused on fostering a competitive environment that allows players to develop and succeed on their terms.

A More Controlled Approach to Player Exposure

In addition to the focus on player development, Kelly’s adjustments also reflect a broader trend in college football toward a more controlled approach to player exposure. Coaches are becoming increasingly cautious about how much public exposure their players get, particularly with the growing influence of social media and the increasing number of players transferring out of programs.

Kelly’s approach also mirrors similar changes seen across the country in programs like Nebraska and Texas, which have adjusted their spring activities to focus more on skill development and team-building rather than public-facing events. While these programs have not completely eliminated the spring game, they have shifted their emphasis away from putting on a spectacle and instead focused on more structured, private practices designed to help players improve.

Fan Engagement: Maintaining a Balance

Despite the adjustments made for the 2025 spring game, Kelly recognizes the importance of maintaining fan engagement. The spring game remains an event that fans look forward to, and it serves as an opportunity to connect with the team in a more intimate setting. While the format may be changing, Kelly has promised that the event will still feature fan interactions, including an autograph session where fans can meet the players and coaches.

Kelly’s approach seeks to strike a balance between prioritizing player development and keeping the fanbase engaged. While the new format may not be as traditional as past spring games, it will still include elements that allow fans to connect with the team and support their players.