While many major programs elected to cancel their spring football games, Notre Dame went ahead with its annual Blue & Gold exhibition. Coaches have become protective of their players and no longer want to showcase them in public. Indeed, roster piracy has reached a crescendo this year. Free agency and bidding wars for top players will continue until Congress produces a better way forward. This may happen before the 2025 season kicks off, however several complex legal hurdles remain.
Teams also want to protect this season’s key depth pieces who will become starters in 2026. Power Five rosters have been gutted in recent years as talented athletes no longer want to wait behind veterans.