The NCAA has denied Colorado head coach Deion Sanders’ proposal to hold a joint spring practice with Syracuse, according to reports this week. Both programs had submitted paperwork requesting approval for the collaborative session.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy voiced support for Sanders’ idea despite having no direct involvement in the proposal.
Gundy suggested such joint practices could help maintain traditional rivalries disrupted by conference realignment, specifically mentioning Oklahoma State’s historic Bedlam rivalry with Oklahoma.
“I mean I mentioned it the other day, I just thought of the deal with OU,” Gundy said, via Cayden McFarland. “I think it’s a good deal. I would like to do it. I would like to practice against them.”
Yahoo Sports reported the NCAA cited insufficient planning time, potential recruiting advantages, and academic concerns due to teams traveling away from campus as reasons for the denial.
Gundy questioned whether the NCAA has the actual authority to prevent programs from proceeding with such plans.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m not going to waste my time on who’s going to determine what the rules are anymore,” Gundy said. “Because essentially there’s not really enough of them to follow. And I’m not sure how they have grounds to say you can’t do it. Like if somebody just goes and does it, what are they going to do to them?”
On3’s J.D. PicKell shared similar thoughts on social media, writing, “Honest question. What happens if they both just said ‘Nah. We’re still going to going to play each other this spring’? Can the NCAA actually do anything? Haven’t seen them catch a W in a minute. ‘People are starting to murmur.'”
The ruling comes as the NCAA faces increasing scrutiny about its regulatory power in college athletics. With rapid changes across the landscape, questions about the organization’s authority continue to grow.
