With the national signing day in the rear view mirror, the focus shifts to next season and the preparations that must be made for kickoff in the fall. The next stop is the spring football games and while they don’t actually matter other than in terms of player development and preparation for next year, there are some that are bound to draw huge attendance numbers anyways. Here is a look at the five spring football games that might actually sell out.
Alabama Crimson Tide
April 16
Alabama pretty much always has a strong attendance number for its spring game and the defending national champions have given their fans even more reason to show up this year. The Crimson Tide celebrated another national title in 2016 and that has created even more buzz and excitement surrounding the team. Another intriguing storyline is how Alabama will fare following the loss of several key players including Heisman trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry and star defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson. Nick Saban has done a tremendous job when it comes to reloading with young talent over the years and that is true again this year after he secured the top recruiting class in the nation for 2016. Fans will get their first look at this year’s team at spring practice and it won’t be a surprise if Bryant-Denny Stadium is sold out.
Clemson Tigers
April 9
The Tigers are coming off a perfect regular season and a trip to the national championship game so the excitement surrounding the football team is as high as it has ever been. It also helps that the defending ACC champions will have a number of returning starters on the field for their spring game including star quarterback and Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson. The Tigers had 37,000 on hand for last year’s spring practice, but there is a good chance that number will be a lot higher this year with fans making their way out to support a team with legitimate national title ambitions.
Michigan Wolverines
April 9
Everything that Jim Harbaugh has done since his arrival at Michigan has added to the excitement surrounding the football program and expectations are even higher for the Wolverines in Year Two under his guidance. Michigan is listed at 14/1 to win the national title in 2016 and there is every reason to believe they can be a force in both the Big Ten and on the national stage. A new quarterback competition and a recruiting class that is absolutely loaded with talent has only enhanced the excitement and anticipation for next season and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Wolverines’ spring practice sells out.
Ohio State Buckeyes
April 16
The rivalry between the Wolverines and Buckeyes extends to spring practice and there is a good chance Ohio State won’t want to be outdone when it comes to the crowd at their spring practice. The Buckeyes actually led all teams in spring attendance last year with just under 100,000 on hand and the potential to compete for a national title again this year should produce another packed house.
Tennessee Volunteers
April 16
It has been a long time since Tennessee had this much star power on its roster and the anticipation for a breakthrough season should create a dynamic atmosphere at this year’s spring game. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs, running back Jalen Hurd and defensive end Derek Barnett will be among the star players on hand in Knoxville. With so much excitement surrounding the Vols’ potential for this season, there is a good chance that they will sell out their spring practice as fans hope this is the start of something special. Butch Jones has been building the Vols roster for years and while they were very young and wet behind the ears this season, they finally appear to have the experience this time around. A lot of eyes will be looking on – especially at spring games – to see if that’s in fact the case.
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