January has finally come to an end, which means that the spring season — and spring practices — are just around the corner at last. The Auburn football team's transfers and freshman early enrollees have all arrived on campus and begun work with the program.
Head coach Hugh Freeze spoke to the media at this year's Reese's Senior Bowl and announced that 2025 spring practices will start much later than they did in 2024, when practices began in late February. This year, the Tigers will begin spring ball following Auburn University's spring break, which takes place from March 10 to March 14.
Auburn Undercover's Nathan King reports that spring practices will begin on March 25, and Freeze said the team will practice four days a week. They will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, have a 'teaching' day on Fridays with no pads, and then work in the stadium on Saturdays. Following that schedule, the Tigers will still have three of their 15 practices remaining following the A-Day game, which is set for April 12.
For Freeze, the shorter schedule was an intentional decision and one that will leave his team with more time to go through winter workouts.
"I wish we didn't have spring ball," Freeze said, per The Montgomery Advertiser. "I wish we had OTAs (organized team activies) in June, and let us put shoulder pads on there for ten days when you have everybody there. I wish they could just be with (strength coach) Dom (Studzinski), and work and get their bodies in the best shape of their life, and us do individual and walk throughs. Now, I’m not saying not do any ball, but no hitting."
Freeze expressed concern last year about keeping his team healthy throughout spring practices and fall camp ahead of the season, and it's clear that those concerns are still present for the Tigers' head coach heading into his third season on the Plains.