Trent Dilfer responds to Hugh Freeze’s spring request

Auburn Tigers football coach Hugh Freeze is introduced at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, Ala., on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Photo Credit: Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Hugh Freeze says he would rather play a team like UAB than have an intra-squad scrimmage for Auburn’s annual spring game, and Blazers head coach Trent Dilfer is completely on board with that idea.

Freeze, who is in his first year as head coach at Auburn, told reporters on Monday that he believes spring games are often a “wasted day.” He said scrimmaging another team would be much more productive.

“I’m going to cry again for the solution,” Freeze said, via Tom Green of AL.com. “The solution is: Allow us to scrimmage somebody on A-Day. Another team. I think everybody would get out of it exactly what they want.”

Dilfer, also in his first year on the job, seemed downright excited about Freeze’s idea.

“Pretty, pretty, pretty please — yes, of course, Hugh’s right,” Dilfer said. “I think we all want, whether you’re Auburn or Alabama, you’re looking for live competition and not to play yourself. I think if you’re UAB or Troy, you’re looking to hopefully play people that are perceived to be much better than you so you can kind of use it as a test to see where your program’s at.”

Dilfer also said he would “get on the buses now” if Nick Saban called and said he wanted Alabama to scrimmage against UAB. Troy head coach Jon Sumrall made similar remarks.

Unfortunately, it is not allowed. NCAA rules do not permit schools to scrimmage against one another during the spring. Division II passed a rule earlier this year that will allow one spring football game against another opponent beginning in 2024. Freeze, Dilfer and others obviously want the same in Division I.