LIVINGSTON, Ala. – With the season opener less than a month away, the University of West Alabama held its first two days of football practice on Friday, Aug. 6, and Saturday, Aug. 7.

On day one, 108 student-athletes participated in fall camp, and the excitement of preparing for an entire 11-game season swiftly became the topic of discussion.

"We were excited to be back on the field today," head coach Brett Gilliland said. "The weather was great, and the players had great energy."

With several transfers and a squad of freshmen student-athletes, many players have not seen competitive play in over a year due to the pandemic. The first practice was used a refresher course which allowed the players to ease back into the sport.

"It was a typical first day where a lot of emphases was placed on fundamentals and foundational aspects," Gilliland said, "but, I liked the attitude and energy level of all of our guys."

Preparation for the season continues Sunday afternoon when the players practice in shoulder pads for the first time this season. Practices will continue each morning for the remainder of the week inside Tiger Stadium. UWA practices are open to the public, but the team asks that no photos or videos be taken during this time.

The Tigers will have its first full scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m. The game will also be open to the public, and fun activities for returning students will be incorporated.

UWA will kick-off the Fall 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 4, against Morehouse College. Single-game tickets and season tickets are currently on sale at UWAathletics.com.

To stay connected with the UWA football team, follow @UWA_football on Instagram and Twitter. General athletic news, along with game recaps and box scores, can be found at uwaathletics.com. Additional updates and information are available @UWAAthletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.