Waco, Texas – The Baylor football team will hit the field for the first time under the direction of head coach Art Briles on Saturday, March 1, when the Bears open spring practice with a Noon workout.

“We are anxious to get going for a variety of reasons,” Briles said. “First and foremost, preparing for the 2008 season and then secondly, player personnel evaluations. We need to see who fits at the proper spots within our schemes. Spring practice also gives the coaching staff an opportunity to get to know these players on a personal and professional level. Once you get on the field with people, you start to understand them a little better.”

Baylor was originally slated to begin spring drills on March 3, but moved the start date up to get in a pair of workouts that did not conflict with the players’ academic schedules, Briles said.

The Bears will practice a total of 15 times over a five-week period this spring and workouts are open to the public, unless otherwise announced by the coaching staff. BU also has practices scheduled for March 2, 4, 6, 17, 18, 20, 25, 27, 28, 29; April 1, 3 and 4 before concluding drills with its April 5 Spring Game.

“As practices go along, we’ll have a better feeling of how people respond in certain situations,” Briles said. “We are excited and anxious to get this program rolling for the Baylor community.

All weekday practices are scheduled to start at 4 p.m., while the times for weekend workouts will be determined by the coaching staff as the spring progresses. Fans wishing to attend a workout should confirm the practice time via practice reports on baylorbears.com or by calling the Baylor football office at 254.710.3058.

The Bears return 48 lettermen all-told, including 15 starters, from last year’s 3-9 team.

Note: Baylor’s 2008 football game at Connecticut, originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20 in Hartford, Conn., has been moved to Friday, Sept. 19 to accommodate a national television broadcast on ESPN2 … Kickoff for the first-ever meeting between the Bears and Huskies is set for 8 p.m. (EDT) … There is an additional change to the Bears’ Big 12 schedule which is expected to be announced later this week, too.