The WKU football team will start official spring football practices on March 17, and the Hilltoppers will complete 13 more scheduled sessions over the month to follow leading up to the Red vs. White spring game, which is scheduled for April 18 at 2 p.m. in Houchens-Smith Stadium.

WKU will practice three times per week — primarily on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — with weekday practices scheduled for 4 p.m. and Saturday practices for 10 a.m. Practices will be open to the public, although times and dates are subject to change without a formal announcement.

The Red vs. White spring game will feature free admission for all fans.

Head coach Tyson Helton will be in his second season at the helm of the Hilltopper program. In his first year, Helton was voted Conference USA Coach of the Year after finishing the regular season with an 8-4 record and 6-2 mark in league play.

The Hilltoppers capped their 2019 campaign with a 23-20 thriller over Western Michigan in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to improve to 9-4, tripling the team’s win total from 2018 (3-9) while matching the number of victories from the previous two years combined (9-16).

WKU added 21 new players combined in the Class of 2020 from the Early Signing Period on Dec. 18 and National Signing Day on Feb. 5.

Additionally, it was announced on Jan. 30 that linebacker Will Ignont would also join the Hilltoppers after transferring from the University of Tennessee.

Of the team’s 22 new signees, 12 are already on campus, training with the team and enrolled at the university for the spring semester.

WKU is expected to return 16 of its 22 offensive and defensive starters from 2019, along with two of its three specialists. The veteran group will face a wire-to-wire grind during its 2020 schedule, as nine of the team’s 11 FBS opponents competed in a bowl game in 2019.

WKU’s full 2020 spring football schedule is available below:

• Tuesday, March 17 – 4 p.m.

• Thursday, March 19 – 4 p.m.

• Saturday, March 21 – 10 a.m.

• Monday, March 23 – 4 p.m.

• Thursday, March 26 – 4 p.m.

• Saturday, March 28 – 10 a.m.

• Tuesday, March 31 – 4 p.m.

• Thursday, April 2 – 4 p.m.

• Saturday, April 4 – 10 a.m.

• Tuesday, April 7 – 4 p.m.

• Wednesday, April 8 – 4 p.m.

• Thursday, April 9 – 4 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 14 – 4 p.m.

• Thursday, April 16 – 4 p.m.

• Red vs. White spring game, Saturday, April 18 – 2 p.m.