After a difficult 2025-26 season, which saw the Idaho Vandals go 4-8 and losses to rivals Montana and Idaho State, the new 2026-27 Vandals squad looks poised and prepared for a new season with plenty of new faces as well. But before the season can officially begin, the Vandals will play their annual Spring Game on Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m. inside the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
The scrimmage will feature a Black vs. Gold format where they will play four 12- minute quarters with a continuous clock, designed to replicate game flow while giving coaches a chance to evaluate depth and competition across the roster.
As the Vandals work to install faster, more aggressive systems, head coach Thomas Ford Jr. has emphasized steady improvement as the team adapts to the new schemes and overall identity.
“That’s what you want to see,” Ford said in a Vandal Athletics press release. “Each day is about stacking progress, and I thought we saw real growth across all three phases.”
With a new coaching staff and several position battles still ongoing, spring practices have become an important evaluation period as younger players compete for expanded roles and returning starters adjust to new responsibilities within the system.
During the offseason, the Vandals lost a few key players via the transfer portal. The Vandals lost defensive lineman Matyus McLain, cornerback Caleb Ricks, safety Matt Irwin and linebacker Dylan Layne, who all left to play somewhere new.
The Vandals also lost offensive lineman Nate Azzopardi, tight end Jake Cox, running back Elisha Cummings and defensive lineman Xavier Slayton, who all have graduated.
While those departures remove a considerable amount of experience and leadership on both sides of the ball, Idaho’s program has consistently leaned on player development and roster reloading to stay competitive within the Big Sky Conference. Rather than relying solely on returning starters, the Vandals have built a reputation for quickly developing younger talent and integrating new additions into meaningful roles.
For fans attending the scrimmage, they will get an early look at the reshaped team as it continues to take form this spring. The Vandal Ticket Office will be available in the ESI construction center, as after the game, there will be a postgame social at the Best Western Plus University Inn’s gold and silver rooms.
The event will also include concessions, free schedule magnets from the VandalStore and an opportunity for fans to interact with players following the scrimmage, reinforcing the program’s strong connection with the Vandal community.
Overall, the spring game serves not only as a showcase for the roster but also as an early benchmark for how quickly Idaho can adapt to a new system and overcome significant offseason turnover.