The Civil War Should Be the Spring Game

Deion Sanders is making news in the off-season once again, but this time in regards to how Spring Games should be actual games played between teams. In this case I agree with him, and I have even written about how the Spring Game should be a real game. The Spring Game is typically a glorified scrimmage, and even if two teams played against each other, there is no reason that couldn’t still be the case — but so much more could be learned about a team by watching them play someone else.

This would come with some downsides, namely not every team could have a spring game in their home stadium for the fans, and as a result some teams would need to take on travel fees. These fees would most likely result in a payout from the home team, not unlike the typical arrangements in non-conference games. Sadly, this would mean that these games couldn’t be free to the public, as the home team would have to cover the cost — though there is a possibility of some greater television revenue since these games would score much higher ratings.

In the end this would be a benefit for the fans, and not a detractor. Even Mr. FishDuck took a break from his fun of reading about the tallest NFL players to discuss the importance of the Spring Game with me.

Furthermore, this would be a major opportunity for the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers to square off annually. As it stands, this upcoming season is going to be the last time the two teams meet for some time. The Ducks don’t have room in their future schedule to constantly work around the Beavers’ schedule and their needs for an extra game. It won’t be until the 2030s for these teams to renew their rivalry. Even then, that’s not a guarantee, as many fans on both sides of the rivalry believe it has become too lopsided and may need to die.

Tez Johnson stiff arms a Beaver in the 2024 Civil War game.
(Photo by: Eric Becker)

However, a real Spring Game would be the perfect opportunity for these two teams to renew their rivalry. For starters, the two teams are close to each other so travel would be cheap, and both teams could reasonably get their fans in the stands. It could bring back the rivalry earlier and do so in a way that does not impact the season.

Additionally, the rivalry has cooled somewhat in recent years. Sure, it got a jolt of life in 2022 when the Beavers had a come-from-behind upset of the Ducks, but the last two years have reasserted the status quo: Duck dominance. Not only would keeping this rivalry game current help keep it alive, but a Spring Game format with the intensity seeming to have cooled, some could help keep things more… civil.

This would be the perfect match-up for a potential real spring game for the Ducks. There has been a little talk about Colorado vs. Oregon, but the reality is that no one really wants that game besides Colorado fans who still have hurt feelings about the absolute thrashing they received at the hands of Oregon in 2023. That would also be a poor match-up because both sides would come into the game with extra charged emotions, and though it may provided a better spectacle, it would make for a poor spring game, which is about player development and ensuring players get out of spring camp without any lasting injuries.

The powers that be at both Oregon and Oregon State could reliably set up a good Spring Game with rules around how it should be administered. Both coaching staffs would want their first, second and third-string groups to play meaningful reps, and building a game format around that would help reduce the intensity of the rivalry while at the same time giving this rivalry the appropriate amount of life support.

There are still tons of rules that need to be changed to make this a reality, but with the way College Football is trending, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if this is only a couple years away. With that said, bring on the Civil War Spring Game! At the very least the Ducks, should pay the Vikings to travel south for a Spring pummeling.

David Marsh
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By Steven Chan

Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in technology in SLC, Utah.

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David Marsh

David Marsh is a high school social studies teacher in Portland, Oregon. As a teacher he is known for telling puns to his students who sometimes laugh out of sympathy, and being both eccentric about history and the Ducks.

David graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012 with Majors in: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, and Geography. David began following Ducks Football after being in a car accident in 2012; finding football something new and exciting to learn about during this difficult time in his life. Now, he cannot see life without Oregon football.