STULTZ: Freeze on point with spring game solution

Certain things happen in every spring game. You will have the quarterbacks not getting tackled. There will be one player that stands out that somehow disappears, never to be seen on the field again. Coaches, paranoid for all the right reasons, will keep things simple so as not to show off too much of their schemes. And, of course, fans will almost always walk away feeling better about their team.

Not too often is there a big story, as in a quarterback was named the starter or anything of that nature. So for coaches, a spring game almost comes across as a nuisance, something that has to be done while the entire time they would rather have a whole extra practice under their team’s belts.

While Hugh Freeze understands the importance of A-Day in Auburn, the head coach offered a brilliant solution to make it more interesting for everyone involved: let another team come in and play a scrimmage.

“The NFL gets to scrimmage against others,” Freeze said. “High schools get to scrimmage against each other. For the life of me, I just don’t understand why we haven’t got to the point where we can pull that off and do something that’ll be helpful to some organization in each state.”

And it isn’t limited to other college sports as well. Auburn basketball got to play a behind-the-door scrimmage during the preseason, and the Tigers took the diamond more than a couple of times this past fall. So yes, there is a precedent for this happening just across the street from Jordan-Hare Stadium.

There would be absolutely no losers in this. Coaches would find out way more about their team if they faced someone else. Fans would get a realistic preview of where their team stands. And players? They would enjoy beating the hell out of each other for once.

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

Yes, people would definitely come to see it as it would be another de-facto home game where fans could come tailgate and actually cheer for their team instead of getting a glorified practice that, let’s face it, reached a new low on the Plains last year when the most exciting moment was a napkin flying around the field for an absurdly long time. (Trust me, the entire press box was riveted.)

But let’s not forget what Freeze had to say about it helping the communities as well.

“Let’s adopt a charity to give all the proceeds to,” he said. “Let’s take foster care in the state of Alabama or orphan care in the state of Alabama.”

While giving up money earned from the day might not excite an athletic director or those in the financial offices, it would be a grand gesture from a part of the university that rakes in cash at alarming rates. One of the great things already about A-Day is that families who can’t afford regular-season tickets can bring their entire family for a fraction of the price. The look on a child’s face as they made their way into Jordan-Hare for the first time would be better than any new tackling dummy several tickets could provide for.

Freeze, who’s supported this change since his days at Ole Miss, listed even more advantages. Less risk of injury; 50 percent, in fact, since one side of your team would be off the field at all times.

But, per the coach, the idea has yet to gain any traction. Well, it should. It makes sense. It’s a win-win for everyone with little downside. It would bring the excitement that surrounds a fall Saturday to April. Coaches would be able to see how their players, especially newcomers, react when the lights come on for real.

“I think it’d be awesome,” Freeze said.

So do I. Let’s make this happen.