Open season: Florida to hold eight open spring practices; ninth open to season ticket-holders

Florida's had one of the less open programs in college football under Will Muschamp. With Tuesday's announcement that nine Florida spring practices will be open to the public, that's changing.

Scott Carter's GatorZone piece — which amusingly cites "abundant interest" in Florida — includes these as dates for open practices:

Wednesday, March 19

Friday, March 21

Saturday, March 22

Monday, March 24

Wednesday, March 26

Monday, March 31

Wednesday, April 2

Friday, April 11

Carter includes the Orange and Blue Debut as a ninth "chance to watch the Gators this spring," but it's hardly news that Florida's spring game — set for Saturday, April 12 — will be open to the public. (It would be more newsworthy, arguably, if Florida is sure it will have enough offensive linemen healthy to not bastardize the spring game into a glorified practice, but I digress.)

Florida's also touting a ninth practice that will be open exclusively to season ticket-holders. The Gators also held an open practice in 2013 that was open exclusively to students, and might well make another one open in the same way in 2014.

And with these open practice dates only conflicting with Florida's NCAA Tournament run a maximum of once — Florida will play on either March 21 or March 22, depending on its subregional, but is overwhelmingly likely to play on March 22, given how it is a mortal lock to head to Orlando, where games will be played on March 20 and March 22 — I'll be sure to make it out to a bunch of them, and provide as much coverage as I can.

Who's coming with me?