This isnt a bunch of guys running around with a football, this is real intercollegiate football.

Nearly 9,200 people showed up for the spring football game at the University of Alabama, where new head coach Nick Saban has brought a new hope for the Crimson Tides meat-and-potatoes sport.

Seventy-one thousand Nittany Lions faithful packed Happy Valley for the scrimmage between the Blue and White teams of Penn State. Not one single fan attended the opening of spring football practices at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Dont take it the wrong way, though. Theres plenty of reason for optimism.

We used to get 30, maybe 35 guys for the spring football practices, said running back Jeff Cottam, but this is awesome.

Somewhere around 50 prospective football players, ranging from freshmen to grad students, took part in the opening spring practice last Tuesday night in Engelmann Gym. The club team, which was founded in 2003, is independent from the schools athletic department, but draws its roster exclusively from the student body.

This isnt a bunch of guys running around with a football, this is real intercollegiate football, head coach Nick Wember told the team at the end of practice.

Indeed, the Panthers are taking on bona fide college football teams in the fall. With games lined up against UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point and Carroll College, the Panthers are getting set to take on a beast of a schedule.

Of course, the big game of the season is against Marquette, which also has a club football team. Since the inception of the Brew City Classic in 2003, a traveling trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Marquette-Milwaukee club football game.

The truth is the trophy hasnt done a whole lot of traveling. The Milwaukee Panthers have won every contest, keeping their hands on the Golden Keg. Last seasons game, played at Milwaukees home field of Shorewood High, was an instant classic.

Up by only eight points in the closing minutes, Milwaukee gave up a touchdown to the Golden Eagles. Marquette, choosing to go for the two-point conversion, threw an interception in the end zone, and the Panthers won, 34-32.

The focus now, however, is getting the team to start thinking football. With the semester winding down and exams heating up, the team is getting peoples minds set on football so they get ready over the summer for the fall season.

The practice began with warm-ups, and eventually split into positions. Since so many players are showing up in spring camp, most will play only one side of the ball. That bodes well for a football team that might give up athleticism to opponents.

Spring practices usually run just over an hour, and are Tuesday and Thursday nights in Engelmann Gym. The next practice is tomorrow, May 1, at 7 p.m.

If youd like to join, head over to http://www.uwm.edu/StudentOrg/MPF/ and fill out a recruitment form, or contact Cottam on Facebook.

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