Expecting more than 130 players to report on campus Incarnate Word Coach Larry Kennan and his staff have outlined their football practice schedule for the next several days.

Wednesday is a day of checking into housing, issuing of equipment, physical examinations and paperwork for the Cardinals before Kennan, looking ahead to his first year as the top coach, sees his squad all together.

On Thursday, after meetings and more testing, the team will be on the turf at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium for the first full team session beginning at 7:05 p.m.  The first four days of drills all are at 7:05 p.m., and by NCAA edict will be in shorts, T-shirts and helmets before the Cardinals go full pads on Monday (August 13) at 2:05 p.m.

The annual Cardinals football media day is set for 10:30 a.m. on Monday (August 13) at Benson Stadium on campus.

UIW is looking ahead to its fourth full season of football action.  The Cardinals played their first-ever game on August 29 of 2009 as an NCAA Division II independent.  The last two years found Incarnate Word competing as a member of the always-tough Lone Star Conference.

The 2012 season opens at home September 1 when Texas College comes calling at 7 p.m.   The very next week, September 8, UIW will be at Division I Sam Houston State to challenge the 2011 national runnerup in the Football Championship Subseries. 

The third week of the season will present a career highlight for the Cardinals when they will be in Arlington to play in Cowboys stadium against LSC opponent Eastern New Mexico.  That game is on Friday, September 14, and will kickoff at 3:30 p.m.

UIW'S FIRST WEEK

August 8      9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.      Check-in, equipment, 
                                                        physicals, team meeting

August 9      7 a.m. to 4 p.m.           Testing, meetings, conditioning

                    7:05 p.m.                     Practice in helmets

August 10     7:40 a.m. to 4 p.m.      Weightlifting, meetings

                    7:05 p.m.                     Practice in helmets

August 11     7:40 a.m. to 6:25 p.m.  Weightlifting, meetings

                    7:05 p.m.                     Practice in helmets

August 12     1 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.      Meetings

                    7:05 p.m.                     Practice in helmets

August 13     6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.     Weightlifting, meetings

                    10:30 a.m.                   Media Day

                    2:05 p.m.                     Practice in full pads

August 14     8:05 a.m.                     Practice in shells

                    2 p.m. to 4 p.m.           Weightlifting, meetings

                    7:05 p.m.                     Practice in full pads