Football Preseason Camp Opens Friday

Football Preseason Camp Opens Friday

8/2/2006

First Four Practices Open to Commodore Fans

Nashville, Tenn. — As Vanderbilt football players start arriving for preseason drills, Head Coach Bobby Johnson announced Wednesday the team’s first four practice sessions will be open to Commodore followers.

The Commodores, returning 15 starters off a 5-6 campaign in 2005 that ended with a road victory over Tennessee, will begin preseason preparations for the Sept. 2 opener at Michigan with their first workout this Friday afternoon.

Johnson, entering his fifth season at the helm of Vanderbilt football, said the team’s first four practices, starting Friday and concluding Monday, will be open to Commodore fans. Starting Tuesday, Aug. 8, practice sessions will be closed to the general public.

Each of the four practices open to the public start at 6 p.m.

With freshmen arriving on campus Wednesday (click here for photo gallery of move-in day) and upperclassmen expected on Thursday, Johnson said he was pleased with the Commodore offseason conditioning efforts, and is looking forward to getting started with preseason camp Friday evening.

“I think all of us, the players, coaches and our staff, are ready to get started,” Johnson said. “I know Coach (John) Sisk and his conditioning staff did a great job getting the players prepared for camp and the upcoming season. As a team, we’re ready to get to work.

“I’m excited about seeing our guys back on the practice field, and I think our fans share the excitement. Opening on national television against one of college football’s finest programs is a great honor for our team, but it also gets your attention real fast,” Johnson added.

The Commodore coaching staff is expecting to welcome nearly 30 freshmen and invited walk-ons to campus Wednesday. Sixty-five upperclassmen, including 45 letterwinners from a year ago, are expected to check-in Thursday afternoon.

Starting Friday, the Commodores are expected to practice daily through Monday, starting at 6:00 p.m., at the John Rich Practice Complex on campus. The Commodores are expected to stage their first practice in full pads on Tuesday, Aug. 8.

Vanderbilt season tickets, the least expensive in the Southeastern Conference, are available for the six home games. Packages start at $80. The Commodore home opener is against Arkansas on Sept. 16. Other home games include Tennessee State on Sept. 23, Temple on Sept. 30, South Carolina on Oct. 21, Florida on Nov. 4 and Tennessee on Nov. 18. Click here to purchase season tickets!