Could spring football games work in Mississippi? Lane Kiffin, Will Hall, Zach Arnett weigh in

OXFORD — Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Lane Kiffin wasn't sure exactly what format he'd roll out for Ole Miss football's Grove Bowl, the Rebels' annual spring game set for Saturday.

Typically, he allows his players to draft two teams and play out something approaching an actual game. But, with a rash of spring injuries limiting the players available to him, Kiffin said he might have to stick with the offense-against-defense format he's rolled out for the Rebels' previous two scrimmages this spring for the Grove Bowl.

Around the country, coaches take varying approaches to their spring games. At Auburn, former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze suggested a new one.

"Alabama can play Troy and we play UAB or vice versa," Freeze said. "I don't care. Alabama State or whoever. People will come see that."

That's not currently allowed under NCAA rules, but Freeze's comments have generated plenty of conversation – both in Alabama and around the country.

So what do the coaches in Mississippi think?

Asked recently by The Clarion Ledger for their thoughts on the concept of playing another school in the spring, none of Mississippi's three FBS head coaches were against it, though some had devoted more thought to the idea than others.

"I think you always like an opportunity to play someone else," Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett said. "I think if it’s for an opportunity like I’ve heard mention of where it’s for charitable purposes, that’s good too."

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The injury prevention aspect of the idea appeals to Southern Miss coach Will Hall, he said.

When the Golden Eagles are scrimmaging, there are 22 Southern Miss players on the field who could potentially pick up an injury. Stick another team into the equation and that number is reduced to 11.

There's also the matter of public interest. None of those three institutions have reported spring game attendance recently – it's a free event at all three schools – but it's difficult to imagine a real opponent hurting attendance rather than helping.

"I do think that would be neat and exciting for fans," Kiffin said. "I guess kind of like spring training or something where you get another opponent to play, or like the NFL preseason. I think that would be pretty neat."

There are, of course, logistical challenges to tackle. While all three coaches expressed interest in a competitive spring game, none took the leap Freeze did to suggest it should involve an in-state foe.

An exhibition matchup between Southern Miss and Ole Miss or Mississippi State would almost certainly have a much different (read: more intense) feel than Alabama vs. Troy, for instance. The Golden Eagles have played Mississippi State 30 times in their history – those two have future regular-season games scheduled – and have played Ole Miss 24 times. Alabama has never played UAB or Troy. Auburn has taken on each of those two schools once. In Mississippi, a look outside state lines for a spring opponent might be more practical.

Hall pointed out that there's also the issue of deciding on a location, and the financial implications that conversation carries.

He thinks coaches have job security to consider, too.

"I do think it'll cause some coaches to get fired," Hall said. "That's just the way it goes. If you let a big-time school lose to a smaller school, somebody will get fired eventually."

The transfer portal is a factor here, too. Hall said he wouldn't be concerned about bringing his team to play a spring game against a power program and giving those coaches a chance to evaluate his players in person, believing they already have plenty of tools and resources available to do that.

Arnett expressed a different view.

"I also wouldn't be shocked if some of the coaches (from Alabama) who are talking about that also see it as a free evaluation of other people's rosters so that they maybe could then target in the transfer portal," Arnett said. "I'm not naming any particular names. But, you know, I'll leave it at that."

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Could competitive spring games work in Mississippi college football?