College football’s changing—NIL, the transfer portal, it’s a whole new ballgame. And the new motto? Follow the trend. Take spring games, for example. They used to be a staple, a sneak peek for fans, right? But now, teams are ditching them left and right, seeing them as too risky. Nebraska kicked things off, and boom—Texas, USC, and now Missouri are jumping on the bandwagon. But what’s the actual tea behind Eliah Drinkwitz’s sudden shift of heart?
So Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers just jumped on the “no spring games” movement, joining the trend sweeping college football. Officially, they’re blaming it on the massive $250 million stadium renovation. No spring games in 2025 or 2026, straight from Drinkwitz himself. They’re saying the construction on the north side of Memorial Stadium, which wraps up in 2026, makes it impossible. Annual tradition? Gone for two years. But here’s the thing: SEC insider John Miller is not buying it. Not one bit.
“Let’s be real—college football coaches are absolute control freaks. And while the official reason that Missouri put out is legitimate to some extent, hey, there is some major construction happening at Memorial Stadium here in 2025 and 2026, but apparently not enough for them to move the season next year or cancel any other games, any regular season games. So to be honest with you, I don’t buy that explanation. I think the real explanation is quite simply just control.” It’s evident that with all the “tampering” stances, running away from the situation seems like a better option.
Adding more fuel to the fire John Miller further adds to his opinion, saying, “These coaches, with a spring portal window—I mean, it’s been basically said openly by guys like Matt Rhule at Nebraska—they just don’t want to put out any information out there that they have to. So this is just all a control thing, and frankly, I’m not surprised at all. I think it’s especially not surprising that Missouri kind of used a convenient excuse, to be honest with you.” That’s a straight fact. Spring games aren’t just a tradition, they’re about fans’ excitement, seeing their guys. To just shut them down, you need a way better reason than just building stuff.
Nebraska’s being straight up about it: they’re not letting anyone scout their squad. Matt Rhule’s worried teams will use the spring game to poach his players before the transfer portal even opens, and he’s calling it ‘tampering,’ plain and simple. Last year, they packed Memorial Stadium with 60,452 fans, and now they’re potentially throwing away millions in revenue. Honestly, that says a lot about the current state of college football, doesn’t it? Then you’ve got Texas, with Steve Sarkisian blaming “wear and tear” from their playoff runs for scrapping the Orange and White game. It’s like, come on, everyone knows the spring game’s not the real grind. It’s just a convenient excuse, probably to keep their playbook under wraps.
USC, though, they’re not exactly canceling; they’re just giving it a makeover. Instead of a spring game, they’ll throw a couple of fan-friendly events—one for former players (Salute to Troy) in the spring and another appreciation event in the summer. It’s a nice touch, but let’s not pretend it replaces the actual Spring game. At this point, schools are shifting priorities, and fans will get less access every year. But despite it looking like a sneaky move, let’s not forget Eliah Drinkwitz needs to protect his squad, as their finances are already dipping.
Eliah Drinkwitz’s team taking a hit on the money
Look, Eliah Drinkwitz and his staff have brought together a strong recruiting class full of players who can instantly make a difference in the team. And the numbers might shock you; they have 17 signees. Now there’s a chance that Eliah might lose 16 of those players in the transfer portal. And that’s not the only hit.
Mizzou football has been successful in generating revenue, but maintaining that success comes with a high price. In 2023, the team’s revenue spiked 25%, hitting $56.3 million. But they splurged, too; spending shot up 45%. They made a pile of cash, but their profit margin? Not so good. And the Mizzou Athletics is really in a rough spot now. Adding to that, the department faced a staggering $15.2 million deficit in 2024, with football being the only profitable sport while everything else was losing money.
The men’s basketball team had a disastrous season, going 0-19 in SEC play, which led to a financial loss of approximately $750K. Additionally, the team had to pay a $2.5 million severance package to former head coach Cuonzo Martin. The women’s team also struggled, experiencing a 9% drop in ticket sales and a loss of nearly $4.5 million. Although football remains a lucrative source of income, the overall financial situation of the department is deteriorating.
And this is where things start to get tricky for Mizzou football. Eliah Drinkwitz has managed to achieve two consecutive 10-win seasons while the other sports programs in the athletic department faced challenges. Schools with more financial resources are showing interest, and if he leads another successful year in 2025, a lucrative offer may come his way. Even UM System President Mun Choi knows what’s up. “There’s no mathematical formula to determine how much of that (increase in applications and enrollment) was due to football, but I would say football had a big role in just increasing the reach of the university.”
It’s not just about winning; football is crucial for the university’s finances, student recruitment, and long-term prospects. Drinkwitz’s happiness is non-negotiable. It’s essential. Plus, with fewer finances, the team might end up losing its players too because NIL is a real threat.
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