Spring games are for three things. In order they are:

1. A reward for the players for the culmination of spring training. Something for them to look forward to in playing at the stadium in a fun game type scrimmage in front of the fans. Spring training is important from an evaluation and fundamentals standpoint. Spring training practices are often the toughest a player goes through. They involve a ton of full speed contact, a LOT more than during the season or fall camp because injury risk is not as big a concern and spring ball is about fundamentals, hitting each other and competition. The players need a reward and something to look forward to.

2. The fans. It gives them some football to talk about and sorta a game to watch and go to if they want. When I was a kid, my family and I went to every spring game every year. It was a lot of fun. My parents still have pictures of me from when I was as young as 4 years old on the field with different players at the spring game. One is with Bo Jackson which I was too young to remember, but love the picture.

3. It is a recruiting tool. This is especially true with AU and Bama where the fan turnout is big and we see which recruits decide to go where that weekend.