Once spring practice concluded across the nation, talks of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s proposal of a revamped spring model dwindled to a whisper.
Coaches such as Troy’s Jon Sumrall and Alabama’s Nick Saban each agreed with Freeze’s idea, where teams would play against other teams within the state to conclude spring practice rather than the traditional intrasquad format.
This week, at the Regions Tradition celebrity pro-am, two more coaches shared their take on Freeze’s scheme.
Alabama A&M head coach Connell Maynor and Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. were asked to share their thoughts on the idea, and both seem to be in favor.
“Oh, I would love that,” Maynor said in an interview with AL.com’s Nick Alvarez. “You want to test your guys and you want to test them against somebody besides yourself. … That’d be a great idea to play an Alabama or Auburn.”
Robinson, who has small concerns about the idea, also feels that it could benefit his program from an exposure standpoint. Even if the Hornets were to play another in-state program other than Auburn or Alabama.
“The biggest thing is not to get anyone hurt. … I think it would be really cool,” Robinson said. “Even if it was like Troy, it would be pretty good.”
Auburn has not shied away from playing the state’s FCS programs. The Tigers have played a total of 33 games against Alabama A&M, Alabama State, and Samford over the years and own a 32-0-1 record over said programs. Auburn has also played UAB and Jax State, and are currently 2-0 all-time. The Tigers are set to play Samford in 2023 and will face South Alabama in 2025.
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