With LaVell Edwards stadium installing a new field the previously scheduled April 11th spring game has been canceled, because the renovations will not be ready in time. This is unfortunate that the spring game is canceled, because it gives fans a chance to see their school in a full on scrimmage. The official announcement came from BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe:
"I've consulted with coach [Bronco] Mendenhall as we considered the issues related to playing the spring game this year. It's really not workable to have a public spring game and accommodate the many fans who always attend. We recognize that this is a temporary situation and look forward to continuing with our spring game tradition next season."
BYU did have other options in this game from offers ranging from local high schools to Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT which is about twenty miles north of Provo, and home of MLS team Real Salt Lake. Rio Tinto is a 20,000 seat stadium that is quite smaller then the 60,000 plus LaVell Edwards stadium.
Without the spring game BYU gets a little bit more personalized practice time during that last week, but the fans really to miss out on seeing the new players in 2009.
Yes, the spring game is more of a glorified scrimmage, but it is still great to see football in March, April, and May. We all know coaches hate this game, because of injuries which is why the change of format recently. Coach Mendenhall may actually have a small smile, because during the 2008 season the Cougars rarely used pads which was used to protect injuries.
This spring there have all ready been a few injuries starting with junior offensive lineman Garrett Reden who had his career ended with a leg injury. Another injury that happened was with linebacker Vic So'oto who re-fractured the same foot that he broke in the Washington game last year and is out for 12 weeks.