JACKSON -- Millsaps College fourth-year head coach Mike DuBose and his staff welcomed 123 football student-athletes to campus at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning in preparations to defend their back-to-back-to-back SCAC football crown.

Fresh off their best season in school history at 11-1 overall and No. 12 final ranking by D3football.com, the Majors look to get back to the NCAA Division III playoffs for a third time in four seasons and second straight. The Majors return 60 players from last year and welcome the new arrival of 63 players to the team.

After a full slate of activities on Wednesday, including housing check-in, equipment issuing, team meetings and physicals, the team begins its 15 NCAA mandated practices on Thursday from 3-6 p.m. at Harper Davis Field.  The first five practices will be one-a-day practices, until two-a-day practices kickoff on Tues., Aug. 18. The practice schedule concludes on Mon., Aug. 24.    

“We are very excited about getting started,” DuBose said. “It's a good looking group, we have prepared all summer and we've gone over different scenarios, and we are ready to go tomorrow afternoon. We are going to be doing a lot of things on the first day which will include a lot of throwing, running, team drills and offensive and defensive drills.”

The 2009 football season kicks off with "Backyard Brawl X" against rival Mississippi College on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. in Clinton, which will be presented by Community Animal Rescue and Adoption (CARA) for a third straight year.  Call (601) 974-1190 for tickets, they are \$10 in advance and \$15 at the gate.

Don't forget to sign up for mobile updates and the weekly E-Newsletter on the home site!