Less than four months after the most successful season in school history came to a close, the University of Richmond football team takes the next step toward 2008 with its Annual Spring Game on Saturday at First Market Stadium on campus. 

Along with a controlled scrimmage, the Spiders will recognize former football alumni in attendance and officially introduce the 2008 team captains. Admission is free for the event that begins at 1 p.m.
 
The gates open at noon, and concessions will be available, along with 2008 Football Schedule Cards and season ticket information.  A punt, pass and kick contest for youngsters will be part of the day's events.
 
The will take the field and warm-up at 1 p.m. and then run though a variety of special teams drills. Following a break in which the football alumni will be recognized and the captains named, the team will play five periods of a controlled scrimmage. The roster will be broken into offense (white jerseys) versus defense (blue), with the offense getting points for scores and the defense getting points for stops or turnovers.
 
First-year head coach Mike London is looking to guide the Spiders back to the NCAA Playoffs, where they reached the semifinals last year for the first time in team history. London, a 1983 Richmond graduate, has 16 starters and 37 letterwinners returning from last year's squad that won a school-record 11 games and captured its fourth conference title since 1998 – the most of any team in CAA Football.
 
The 126th season of Richmond Football begins at Elon on Saturday, Aug. 30 and the Spiders are at Virginia the following Saturday. It marks the fourth-consecutive season and seventh time in eight years that the Spiders have played a Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division-IA) opponent. Richmond defeated Duke, 13-0, in 2006.
 
Richmond's home-opener at UR Stadium is set for Saturday, Sept. 13 versus CAA Football rival, Towson.
 
For football ticket information, visit RichmondSpiders.com or call 1-877-SPIDER-1.

The preceding was compiled from a University of Richmond news release.