Notre Dame Football: The March to 2020 Begins

Ah March — my official first day of spring. Regardless of what those so called “scientists” will tell you, everyone knows that spring begins on March 1st, summer on June 1st, fall on September 1st and winter on December 1st. And because today (or yesterday) is the first day of spring, it also means that the slow procession toward the football season begins now!

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish spring football practice schedule is as follows:

• First practice is on March 5th, this Thursday.
• The earth will then spin on it’s axis a number of times equal to the number of losses the USC Trojans have accumulated these last two seasons.

• Practice then picks back up on St Patrick’s Day, Tuesday March 17th. Lemme know if you hear anything about it. I’ll be drowning in corned beef and whiskey.

• After a day off, likely to watch the basketball team play in the first round of NIT tournament (oof, too soon for jokes?), the team gets right back at it, Thursday March 19th. March 19th I might add, holds ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER SIGNIFICANCE! Don’t let those damn scientists in their smarmy lab coats and their stupid goggles tell you otherwise.

• Another off day before resuming Saturday, March 21st. We’ve already gone through the first 21 days of spring and just four practices have been run. I think it is worth taking time to look at what Kelly’s first spring practice schedule in South Bend looked like in comparison:

2010 Spring Football Practice Dates
Fri. March 26
Sat. March 27
Mon. March 29
Wed. March 31
Wed. April 7
Fri. April 9
Sat. April 10
Mon.,April 12
Wed. April 14
Fri. April 16 – Notre Dame Football Coaches Clinic
Sat. April 17 – Notre Dame Football Coaches Clinic
Mon. April 19
Wed. April 21
Fri. April 23
Sat. April 24 – 2010 Blue-Gold Spring Football Game

• We now enter the either/or part of the practice schedule. Between March 24/25 and March 26/27 two practices will be held. Something about academic workload or whatever is mentioned, but I know it’s because the dates correspond with the elite eight of the NIT. (I joke because I hurt)

• Saturday March 28th is a big day I guess? Media not only gets to view the whole practice but they also get media availability with both Kelly and some players. This is the practice that writes a thousand offseason articles. Let’s hope they hide the throwing nets this time.

• Tuesday March 31st signifies both the end of the first full month of spring and the eclipse of the halfway point of spring practice. Each college football program is allotted 15 practices in the spring, which is one more than the number of wins disgraced Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State team was able to win the last two seasons combined.

• Ain’t no fools day for the Irish because BK and staff kick off the new month on Thursday April 2nd. This day is also important because it is the feast day of St. Francis of Paola, patron saint boatmen and naval officers. It’s literally the feast day of the Naval Academy, may the series last another hundred years.

• Saturday April 4th comes after OK Friday, the Good one is the next week. If I am tracking this correctly, which I say facetiously because of course I am, that means there were no Friday practices during Lent. You know what? Kudos to Kelly. I don’t know how everyone else navigates it but I am devoid of energy of days I cannot partake in my carnivorous habits.

• St John the Baptist De La Salle, Patron Saint of teachers and the father of modern education. His feast day is Notre Dame’s next practice, Tuesday April 7th. The more important part of ol’ St Johnny boy is that there was a high school in Concord, California named in his honor Da La Salle, where Isaiah Foskey attended. If there was a player that I’d say that I will be watching for the most this spring — it’s be Foskey. With Hayes out this spring healing up, Foskey figures to get a lot of first team reps and his impact this fall on the d-line might be enormous.

• Thursday April 9th is the last regularly scheduled practice of the spring, with the final two before the spring game, April 14/15 and April 16/17 being left pending based on the academic schedule. Sadly I have nothing quippy or interesting to say about these dates so instead I made you this picture of a Pitt QB to atone for my Navy series remark. It’s Kenny Pickett but let’s be honest, it really could be ANY Pitt QB right?

• Everything culminates with the final practice of the spring on April 18th, the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Yes the game where legends are made. Plenty of words have been written about Junior Jabbie’s 2007 Blue-Gold game performance in every spring since he ran for 237 yards, threw 8 touchdowns and picked off 11 Evan Sharpley passes. I do not feel like I need to further that discussion except to point out this deep cut of a collectors item I saw on Amazon:

Cherish this extended spring practice season. The time from the Blue-Gold Game to fall camp in August, is the longest stretch between seeing Notre Dame players in pads. The journey toward 2020 begins in just four days and I for one...