Dabo Swinney chimes in on spring tampering, effects on annual spring games

USA Today

27-03-2025

Dabo Swinney chimes in on spring tampering, effects on annual spring games
Dabo Swinney made it clear Wednesday that Clemson's annual Orange & White Spring Game on April 5 will not be televised — and that decision came entirely from within the program.
"We could have had it on TV, but it was our decision not to put it on TV," Swinney said after Clemson's latest scrimmage. "It was not like someone did not want to do it. We made the decision to do our own in-house thing."Swinney also shot down any speculation that the choice was motivated by concerns about tampering from other programs scouting his players.
"No," he said, shaking his head when asked directly. "I just did not want to deal with all the drama. Hopefully, it means we can get more people here. But no, I am not worried about any of that stuff."Swinney was blunt about the realities of the transfer portal era.
"I mean, people are going to tamper," he said. "If they don't want to be here, then don't be here. We'll go get somebody. I am not really worried about it. You cannot run from that stuff."
The Clemson head coach added that television exposure has little to do with players transferring in today's college football landscape.
"If people tamper, they tamper," Swinney said. "If kids want to leave, they can leave. It is that simple. We led the nation two years in a row in retention, but maybe half the team leaves in a couple of weeks. I don't know. We will see. We will find out."
Another factor behind the decision is the format of this year's spring game itself. Due to a lengthy list of players recovering from offseason surgeries and minor injuries, Clemson will not conduct its traditional split-squad game. Instead, the Tigers will treat it as more of a controlled scrimmage focused on first-team versus first-team reps and situational work.
Clemson still plans to give fans and donors a look behind the curtain. A one-hour special produced by the athletic department will be available exclusively on Clemson-Plus, the university's in-house streaming platform. The show will feature mic'd-up coaches and players, offering fans a more intimate look at the Tigers' spring preparation, similar to an NFL Films production.
While it won't be televised in the usual fashion, Swinney hopes the new approach brings value in a different way — and perhaps even encourages more fans to show up in person.