Colorado and Syracuse are trying something new this spring, seeking the NCAA’s approval for joint practices and a scrimmage. With spring football changing across the sport, and many teams, including Alabama, reformatting their spring games, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked Thursday whether he would consider taking on another school.

DeBoer was non-committal for the future, but said it certainly won’t be happening in 2025.

“I could do our scrimmage, and I guess it might be a little easier when you just worry about one side of the ball at a time, amongst ourselves at this point,” DeBoer said. “Like this year, I definitely wouldn’t be wanting to have that type of scrimmage. I think every program can do what they want to do, and to me it’s about us making ourselves better.” 

Due to transfer portal and injury concerns, several teams have fully eliminated their spring games. Alabama will be holding an open practice on April 12 for A-Day, but it will not be a scrimmage, DeBoer confirmed on Thursday.

He did acknowledge that practicing against another school could hold some benefit.

‘I think there are some things, like when the NFL has their times during fall camp, they might go specifically to a team that gives them certain fronts and coverages or a certain style of offense that they maybe won’t see much from their own team during fall camp or  OTAs or whatever it might be,” DeBoer said. 

“So there’s benefits to that. I’ve thought about that. When you would do that is a little bit up in the air. We’ll continue to evolve, we’ll continue to adjust and the answer I give you right now might not be the same answer I give you down the road as we develop.”

Alabama held a scrimmage Thursday in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide is still thin across the board due to injuries, something DeBoer also cited when discussing playing another team.

“There’s a lot of young guys that are getting a ton of reps,” DeBoer said. “Being put in uncomfortable positions and that’s good. That’s how the growth happens.”

UA will continue spring practice through A-Day. Admission for the event will be free, and it will not be televised.

Syracuse and Colorado could receive an answer as to whether their joint practices will be allowed on April 10, when the Division I-FBS Oversight Committee holds a meeting.