What Latest Ruling Means for Potential Bedlam Spring Game

Spring games won’t have any major overhauls in 2025.

Over the past few weeks, Colorado’s Deion Sanders has been looking to get an opponent for his team’s spring game. After Syracuse agreed to the idea, it seemed that a new era of college football’s spring practice was here. However, it appears those changes and a new era will have to wait at least one more season.

Colorado and Syracuse’s attempt to face off in a spring game was denied by the Division I FBS oversight committee. The waiver to play that game was denied because of timing more than any other reason. With such little time between when the idea was floated and when it was set to be put into motion, it makes sense that such a groundbreaking idea was put to the side for the time being.

The committee also cited potential issues with recruiting and athletes missing class time. Still, the committee also stated that it would look into the matter in more detail in the future.

If the committee changes its tune about the idea of spring scrimmages, the possibilities could be nearly endless. Of course, with Mike Gundy floating the idea of a Bedlam spring game earlier in the week, any future ruling could have a direct impact on what Oklahoma State’s springs look like moving forward.

OSU and Oklahoma played their final scheduled meeting in 2023, with the Cowboys coming out on top. That matchup was the final Bedlam matchup because of the Sooners’ move to the SEC.

While there has been some discussion about potential future nonconference matchups, neither side has been willing to budge on their nonconference schedules. With no openings that fit both sides for a number of years, there has been no urgency to try and get the rivalry back in action.

That is what could make an annual Bedlam spring game work well. Fans of both sides have been hungry for the rivalry, even if it has only been gone for one season. Letting the rivals battle it out in a yearly scrimmage could be the best way to keep the spirit of Bedlam going, but this decision is out of the schools’ hands.