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Ryan Day Announces Final Decision On Ohio State Spring Game

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Apr 1, 2025 10:36 AM ET

Ryan Day reiterated Ohio State's plan to hold the annual spring football game on Saturday, April 12.

Ohio State announced the spring game in early February, but Day didn't lock down a specific plan for the showcase. Other schools have since axed their intra-squad scrimmage.

Day told reporters Monday that the Buckeyes will hold a traditional spring game in Columbus.

"The plan is for us to still play the spring game," Day said. "We'll continue to look at the health throughout this week and into next week, but the plan is to have a game format on the 12th, which will be great."

Ohio State will then host the third annual "Saddle Up" event. Country music singer Russell Dickerson will perform at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to raise money for the program's NIL fund.

Other schools have pushed to transform spring games into joint practices and scrimmages. The NCAA denied a waiver request from Colorado and Syracuse to implement that idea this month.

While Day thinks college football should allow programs to pursue spring competition against other teams, he wouldn't schedule it for his squad.

The 46-year-old said he sets specific practice guidelines for his players, such as avoiding side hits and taking out a teammate's legs. Day is worried an outside opponent wouldn't honor those same standards.

"I would be very, very concerned about practicing against another team when the rules of engagement aren't clear or you're not going against one of your teammates that you're trying to take care of," Day said. "...For me, right now, it's not something that I would consider. But for those who want to do it, I think they should be able to."

Day said in February that he would "look hard" at how he handles spring games. He wants to keep his roster healthy after the Buckeyes played 15 games en route to a national championship.

Because of the expanded College Football Playoff, Ohio State will be less than three months removed from defeating Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium when conducting its annual spring game.

While more coaches are questioning the format's value, the fans remain invested. Over 80,000 people attended Ohio State's spring game at The Shoe in 2024.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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