O/NSO: A fan's guide for planning practice edition

By Greg Katz – WeAreSC The Obvious: The 2015 USC Trojans football team will open training camp on Saturday evening at 6:30 and the general public is invited to attend. The Not So Obvious: The Trojans will give the public a number of dates and times to view a practice, so in the interest of dates and times and a public service, the O/NSO will set out the times first and then the dates because that might clear things up for a number of fans. FYI, the weather for tomorrow night’s first training session is expected to be sunny and 74 degrees. The Obvious: The Trojans will have two public practices scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and one at 6:45 p.m., however, remember that practices times are subject to change. The Not So Obvious: The 6:30 p.m. practice dates will be this weekend (Aug. 8/Sat. & 9/Sun.) and the 6:45 p.m. practice is slated for Aug. 17 (Mon.) If you’re looking to avoid traffic and much of the sun, this could be the best time for you. The Obvious: The Trojans have scheduled two practices for 7 p.m. The Not So Obvious: If it’s a latter time you’re looking at, these 7 p.m. practices will held Aug. 11&12 (Tues. & Weds). The negative here is that they are next week during rush hour on a Wednesday and Thursday. Of course, you can always have an early dinner and then head over to campus for the festivities. The Obvious: The Trojans have scheduled six practices with a 2:30 p.m. start. The Not So Obvious: If you’re a lover of the sun and heat, these dates will give you a tan and some extra Southern California warmth. The 2:30 p.m. practices are scheduled for Aug. 10 (Mon.), Aug. 15 (Sat.), Aug. 16 (Sun.), Aug, 20 (Thurs.), Aug. 21 (Fri.), and Aug. 22 (Sat.). The Obvious: The Trojans have scheduled one practice at 8:45 a.m. and another for 9: 00 a.m. The Not So Obvious: Okay early risers, this is your celebration. The 8:45 practice is Aug. 14 (Fri.) and the 9:00 a.m. practice is Aug. 19 (Weds.). The Obvious: Fans wishing to attend practice will need to follow a sign-in procedure before being allowed to enter practice viewing sites. The Not So Obvious: You’ll be asked to show a current ID. Fans can watch the open practices from the east sideline of Howard Jones Field (north of Goux’s Gate) or the deck at Dedeaux Field. Take it from the old O/NSO, head up to Dedeaux Field and you’ll be able to view practice from a better spot than the media. Get there early, however, to get a prime viewing spot and you might want to bring a folding chair. The Obvious: Fans are advised to copy or download an up-to-date numerical roster to better enjoy practice. The Not So Obvious: The O/NSO strongly advises you to make sure you get a numerical roster because an alphabetical roster will drive you nuts trying to find a number. Worse than an alphabetical roster is no roster at all, which means you’ll be bugging neighboring fans repeatedly. The Obvious: Most fans would like to see Trojans up-close and personal to get an idea how big these marvelous athletes are. The Not So Obvious: The O/NSO advises that if you want to see Steve Sarkisian’s players at ground level, arrive at least 45 minutes before any announced practice time. Many players arrive much earlier that the announced time, so consider it a pre-practice before the regular practice. You can always view the players as they leave practice that traditionally end after three blasts from an air horn. Practices usually last around 2 ½ hours – give or take. The Obvious: Southern California days during day training camp practices in August can be quite challenging due to the heat. The Not So Obvious: Fan are strongly advised to not only bring plenty of bottled water, a generous supply of sunscreen, and a hat. Heck, the O/NSO has even brought an umbrella to shield the sun. The Obvious: Fans heading to practice will probably be best served using one of the campus on-sight parking structures near Howard Jones/Brian Kennedy Practice Fields. The Not So Obvious: Parking costs for cars on campus are the same as during regular school hours. This being a new academic school year means that prices could be different from the last academic year. Bring $20 to be on the safe side. The Obvious: Practice times relate directly to weather conditions for before, during, and after practice. The Not So Obvious: As for evening practices, it can cool down considerably once the sun goes down, so make sure to bring some sort of jacket with you. You would be wise to check the weather for any practice before leaving for campus. The Obvious: And finally, fans can expect that there will be representatives at practice selling football media guides. The Not So Obvious: The O/NSO strongly recommends purchasing a 2015 Trojans Football Media Guide. If there is no representative selling media guides at practice, you can, depending on the time of day, go to the Sports Information Department Office in Heritage Hall and purchase one. The cost is $20 and we think it’s well worth it.