Spring practice dates set

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From USC:

The University of South Carolina's 2014 spring football practice dates have been set, it was announced today. The Gamecocks are slated to open their spring drills on Tuesday, March 4, and conclude with the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game on Saturday, April 12.

The Garnet & Black Spring Game will begin at Noon at Williams-Brice Stadium. Admission is free. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPNU. More details on the events surrounding the spring game will be announced at a later date.

All 15 of the spring practice sessions are open to the public unless determined otherwise. Most afternoon practices will take place at the Bluff Road practice fields beginning at 4:15. Saturday scrimmages will take place at Williams-Brice Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. All dates and times are subject to change.

Persons with cameras will be permitted to shoot the first 30 minutes of each practice only. After that, no still or video photography will be allowed during the practice sessions without prior consent from the Athletics Media Relations department. Players will not be available for autographs before, during or after the practice sessions. In addition, pets are not permitted on the practice fields. All fans and media attending the practice sessions must stay behind the yellow rope.

The annual Pro Timing Day is set for Wednesday, April 2, beginning at 10 a.m. The skills conducted on the Williams-Brice Stadium field will be open to the public. Should inclement weather arise, the event would move to the indoor practice facility and would be closed to the public.

South Carolina is coming off three-straight 11-win seasons and top-10 finishes for the first time in school history. Under the direction of 10th-year head coach Steve Spurrier, the Gamecocks finished the 2013 campaign ranked fourth in both the Associated Press poll and USA Today/Coaches poll, their highest finish ever. The Gamecocks enter the 2014 campaign on a six-game winning streak.

The Gamecocks will open the 2014 season on Thursday, August 28, when they host the Texas A&M Aggies in an SEC tilt. The game will be the first football game televised on the new SEC Network. For more information on the SEC Network, go to GetSECNetwork.com.

Here are the practice dates and times currently scheduled (all dates and times subject to change):

Practice No. 1: Tuesday, March 4, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 2: Thursday, March 6, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 3: Tuesday, March 18, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 4: Thursday, March 20, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 5: Friday, March 21, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 6: Tuesday, March 25, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 7: Thursday, March 27, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 8: Friday, March 28, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 9: Saturday, March 29, 10 a.m. (Scrimmage)

Practice No. 10: Tuesday, April 1, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 11: Thursday, April 3, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 12; Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m. (Scrimmage)

Practice No. 13: Tuesday, April 8, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 14: Friday, April 11, 4:15 p.m.

Practice No. 15: Saturday, April 12 (Garnet & Black Spring Game), Noon