Missouri football is following a growing trend by abolishing its spring game for both 2025 and 2026.
Mizzou football announced on Monday morning that it will cancel its spring game in both 2025 and 2026. While the Tigers emphasized that the decision was driven by stadium renovations, there's a strong possibility that the spring game may never return to MU.
News: #Mizzou football will not hold a spring game in 2025 or 2026, a source tells @stltoday.
— Eli Hoff (@byEliHoff) February 24, 2025
Ongoing stadium renovations would need to be paused to a degree (to allow fans safely in the stadium) that the program doesn't feel is worth it for an event that is rapidly becoming…
The truth is that spring games for college football teams are quickly becoming outdated. While Mizzou’s timing of a stadium renovation may be coincidentally convenient, there's a strong likelihood that spring games could be eliminated altogether by the time the renovation is complete.
In the past week alone, the likes of Nebraska, USC, and Texas have all opted to cancel their spring games.
While the spring game has long provided fans a glimpse of their football program in the offseason, in recent years, most programs have failed to showcase anything substantial. The spring game has essentially become a glorified practice, with coaches understandably unwilling to reveal any elements of their playbooks.
With ongoing renovations and the spring game itself becoming a dying tradition, Mizzou's decision to cancel its spring game for the next two seasons could signal the eventual end of the event altogether.
Coach Drinkwitz's group will still participate in a full slate of spring practices, beginning Friday, Feb. 28, and concluding Thursday, March 20.
These 13 practices will be followed by the spring transfer portal window, which opens on April 16.