Yesterday, Texas Football released information regarding Fan Day on Saturday, April 18th.
[Sign up for Inside Texas for 50% off! Get the latest on the Longhorns HERE]
Fan Day was the name the University used last year for their spring event that took place of the Spring Game, a usual staple across the country that many programs opted out of for the 2025 season.
This year, Fan Day will operate similarly, with activities around the Bevo Boulevard followed by an open practice for the team.
“As far as the 18th goes, we’ll have an opportunity to have a practice, and we’ll do some drill work and different things,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian outlined. “We will have a scrimmage portion of that practice… We’ll have plenty of competition stuff. We’ll move the ball, we’ll tackle some on that day. It should be very entertaining for the fans, and so we’re looking forward to that.”
Texas once again will not be having a traditional spring game, as fans saw most recently in 2024. Instead, they’ll participate in a regular practice with a scrimmage portion. Players will still be playing in front of fans and even tackling, which should provide just the right amount of fun and hype surrounding the team, but it will not be a full-fledged scrimmage.
This may come off as disappointing for some fans who thought that Texas would participate in a full spring game with the lack of a spring transfer window, which was part of the reason Texas didn’t play a game last April.
But as Sarkisian outlined:
“I just think we’re at a point right now, especially at the line of scrimmage, where it’s hard to field just two teams.”
Sark makes a good point.
Texas has 15 scholarship offensive linemen, but a large portion of them cannot participate. Starting left tackle Trevor Goosby is recovering from injury. Starting guard Laurence Seymore and true freshman Nic Robertson aren’t on campus in the spring. Tackle Andre Cojoe is still recovering from surgery from last season. Freshman Kaden Scherer is injured
Texas could easily field the starting five from this spring, but only two players after that line are returners to the program. They’d barely be able to field another five of scholarship players, most of whom are not fully ready to play against the likes of Colin Simmons or Hero Kanu, and those players would be forced to play every snap of the game itself, potentially 70+. Texas only has two walk-on players listed who could work in relief.
“I’d love to play the game. Two years ago, we had an awesome game. It was fun. It came down to right there at the very end, and, you know, I think (Ryan) Wingo actually made a couple plays there late in the game,” Sarkisian said. “And that was really fun that we were able to do that. We just aren’t able to do it. I would play a game if I could. You already don’t have quite enough linemen, and all of a sudden you get a couple of guys hurt. How do you play? And so we’ll modify it. It’ll still be entertaining, I think, for the fans, but ideally, I’d love to play a game. I think it’s great for our players, too. Our players want to compete.”
Sarkisian clearly wanted to have this game, but with a third of his 15-man line injured, and nearly half also being newcomers to the program, it would not make for a pleasant game.
Fans should still be entertained by what the team puts out in that hybrid scrimmage/practice starting at 11 A.M., but once again, Texas will be without a spring game.