The Crusaders are back on the field.

Well, soon.

On Wednesday morning, Holy Cross announced its spring practice schedule and spring game date via social media. The first day of practice is March 16 and the Crusaders’ finale to the spring season will be on April 15. The four-time defending Patriot League champs have been lifting and doing some team bonding type stuff, but the official 14-practice slate is a very important time for the development and chemistry of any team. That chemistry is a huge reason why Holy Cross enters the season (most likely) ranked in the Top 10 or 15 and should work its way back up into the Top 5 by season’s end.

The energy and buzz around the program during last year’s deep FCS playoff run is going to be tough to recreate, but with a game against Boston College early on and another fun league schedule lined up at Fitton Field, it shouldn’t take long for people to get back on that purple and white bandwagon.

The practices aren’t open to fans, but the spring game is. It’s a fun little family event to get ready for the season if you’ve never seen the Crusaders in action. There’s a nice balance between “drills” and some real competitive football. If nothing else, the live player PA is well worth the entertainment. Last year was quite memorable as the men’s lacrosse team had a weather delay that pushed the spring game back to the evening before putting on a show for the fans that stuck around. The grand finale came in the form of a thrilling TD for Team Impact teammate Jack Savage.

The Crusaders will also be hosting a Pro Day for potential NFL draftees in March as well. Below is the full list of practice days coming up for Bob Chesney’s squad.

MARCH 16

MARCH 18

MARCH 21

MARCH 23

MARCH 25

MARCH 28

MARCH 30

APRIL 1

APRIL 4

APRIL 6

APRIL 11

APRIL 13

APRIL 14

APRIL 15 (SPRING GAME, TIME TBA)