College football spring games 2023: Schedule, dates, TV, and more to know

If you thought college football was heading for a big, long break after the Feb. 1 National Signing Day came and went, you couldn’t be more wrong.

The fact is that things are about to crank back up, with spring football just around the corner. That means your favorite team is about to take the field again, coaches will take early looks at what they’ll have coming back in the fall, and there might even be some high-profile position battles decided — though those kinds of things are more likely to be decided during preseason camp.

Perhaps the most important purpose of spring football is player development, whether it means helping established players prepare to take the next step, or getting younger players ready for more important roles.

Either way, it’s fun to watch and is a way to sate your football appetite through the summer ahead.

Here is everything to know about spring football.

What are the top storylines?

You’re in luck, because FOX Sports College Football Writer Bryan Fischer has tackled key spring storylines. Here’s part of what he had to say about interesting coaches making their first appearances with new teams:

“One of the bigger job swaps that raised a few eyebrows was Wisconsin plucking Luke Fickell out of Cincinnati. It was already a borderline coup in landing the only head coach to guide a Group of 5 team to the Playoff, Badgers brass also know they got somebody with deep Big Ten roots who can help elevate the program back into a regular conference contender.

“Further west in the Big Ten, we’ll also see how Matt Rhule readjusts to the college game at Nebraska after his brief stint in charge of the Carolina Panthers. The Cornhuskers have already turned over the roster and brought in an influx of new players, many of whom will be hoping to use this set of practices to get ahead on the depth chart before even more reinforcements arrive in the fall. Rhule has been a master at turning things around after previous stops at Temple and Baylor, but at both places, things got off to a slow start — something the Huskers will be hoping isn’t the case given the way things have transpired on the field the past few years.”

To read more about spring football storylines, click here.

When does spring practice begin? And when are spring games held?

That depends on which school you’re talking about — they’re all different! While many of the major schools tend to start spring practice in mid-March, some start much sooner. Most schools tend to hold their spring games about two weeks after practices begin, with their spring game usually (but not always) serving as the last of 15 allotted practices.

Here are some spring practice and game dates to know for major teams across the nation. We will update this list as other teams announce their plans.

Big Ten

Michigan: Practice is Feb. 20-April 3. Game is April 1 (BTN).
Indiana: Practice is March 4-April 15. Game is April 15.
Ohio State: Practice is March 7-April 15. Game is April 15.
Penn State: Practice dates TBD. Game is April 15.
Illinois: Practice is March 21-April 21. Game is April 20 (BTN).
Nebraska: Practice is March 20-April 22. Game is April 22 (BTN).
Iowa: Practice is March 23-April 22. Game is April 22.
Wisconsin: Practice dates TBD. Game is April 22.
Maryland: Practice is March 28-April 29. Game is April 29 (BTN).
Rutgers: Practice dates TBD. Game is April 29 (BTN).
Purdue: Practice and game TBD.
Minnesota: Practice and game TBD.
Northwestern: Practice and game TBD.
Michigan State: Practice and game TBD.

Big 12

Kansas: Practice is Feb. 28-April 7. Game is April 7.
TCU: Practice is March 20-April 14. Game is April 14.
Texas: Practice is TBD. Game is April 15.
Kansas State: Practice is March 7-April 15. Game is April 15.
Baylor: Practice is March 21-April 22. Game is April 22 (ESPN+).
Oklahoma: Practice begins March 20. Game is April 22.
Texas Tech: Practice TBD. Game is April 22.
West Virginia: Practice is March 21-April 22. Game is April 22.
Oklahoma State: Practice is March 20-April 22. Game is April 22.
Iowa State: Practice and game TBD.

Pac-12

Arizona State: Practice TBD. Game is April 15.
California: Practice is March 11-April 15. Game is April 15 (P12N).
USC: Practice is March 4-April 15. Game is April 15.
Colorado: Practice is March 19-April 22. Game is April 22.
Washington: Practice is March 6-April 22. Game is April 22. (P12N)
Oregon State: Practice TBD. Game is April 22.
Utah: Practice TBD. Game is April 22.
Stanford: Practice is March 11-April 27. Game is April 22.
Oregon: Practice TBD. Game is April 29 (P12N).
Arizona: Practice and game TBD.
UCLA: Practice and game TBD.
Washington State: Practice and game TBD.

SEC

Missouri: Practice TBD. Game is March 18.
Auburn: Practice is Feb. 27-April 8. Game is April 8.
Vanderbilt: Practice is Feb. 28-April 8. Game is April 8.
Kentucky: Practice is March 6-April 11. Game TBD.
Florida: Practice is March 4-April 13. Game is April 13.
Arkansas: Practice is March 9-April 15. Game is April 15.
Georgia: Practice is March 14-April 15. Game is April 15.
Tennessee: Practice is March 20-April 15. Game is April 15.
Ole Miss: Practice is March 21-April 15. Game is April 15.
Texas A&M: Practice is March 20-April 15. Game is April 15.
South Carolina: Practice is March 14-April 15. Game is April 15.
Mississippi State: Practice begins March 7. Game is April 15.
Alabama: Practice TBD. Game is April 22.
LSU: Practice is March 9-April 22. Game is April 22.

ACC

NC State: Practice is March 1-April 8. Game is April 8. (ESPN+)
Miami: Practice is March 4-April 14, Game is April 14.
Clemson: Practice is March 6-April 11. Game is April 15. (ACCNx)
Pitt: Practice is March 14-April 15. Game is April 15. (ACCNx)
Georgia Tech: Practice is March 13-April 15. Game is April 15.
Boston College: Practice is March 3-April 15. Game is April 15.
Virginia: Practice is March 14-April 15. Game is April 15. (ACCN)
Wake Forest: Practice is TBD. Game is April 15.
North Carolina: Practice is March 5-April 15. Game is April 15.
Florida State: Practice is TBD. Game is April 15.
Virginia Tech: Practice is March 16-April 15. Game is April 15.
Louisville: Practice begins March 21. Game is April 21.
Syracuse: Practice is March 20-April 21. Game is April 21. (ACCNx)
Duke: Practice begins March 24. Game is April 22.

Independent

BYU: Practice is March 6-April 15. Game is March 31.
Notre Dame: Practice is March 22-April 22. Game is April 22.

Further reading

Michigan’s quest to stay atop the Big Ten: Jim Harbaugh keeps the Wolverines humming despite a little bit of chaos off the field. Here are what Michigan will be looking to figure out during spring football. READ MORE

State of the Big Ten: Michael Cohen breaks down what’s going on across the Big Ten, from Ohio State giving new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline a chance to call plays, to Michigan’s offseason of chaos and much more. READ MORE

State of the Big 12: RJ Young writes that with Oklahoma and Texas entering their final year in the conference before heading to the SEC, the Big 12 has a serious branding problem. Who will step up? READ MORE

State of the Pac-12: Bryan Fischer writes that with its host of star quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix, etc.) and high-profile coaches (Coach Prime!), the Pac-12 could be on the rise. READ MORE

Who will replace CJ Stroud?: Ohio State coach Ryan Day plans to facilitate an open competition between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown during spring practices as he seeks a new starting quarterback. READ MORE