NDSU Football Experimenting with New Format for Spring Practices

The Bison will not have a Spring Game this year

FARGO, N.D. — Things look a little different this spring for NDSU practices.

The NCAA allows 15 spring practices, and in the past that has consisted of 14 workouts and a spring game.

This year, North Dakota State is eschewing the scrimmage for a more open format.

“We’ll try to do some situational football,” head coach Chris Klieman said. “We did that last year some. If you recall some of the starters played, but we didn’t tackle those guys. We tagged off on those guys. Then, when we had some of our younger players, we tackled those guys.”

The emphasis will be more on developing younger players and letting the veteran guys focus more on the mental aspects of the game.

“We may do some different things as far as having a red-zone period on that practice day, having a third-down period, whatever it may be,” Klieman said. “But, it will be more of a practice where we’ll have some tackling with some of the younger guys.”

The first of 15 spring practices is Wednesday morning at 6:40.