Blue & White

The Athletics Department announced on Thursday, April 3 that the annual Blue and White football game will take place on April 19 at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at 4 p.m.

It is more than five months until the 2008 Columbia football season officially kicks off, but there is a lot of preparation to be done before then. Every spring, the rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors of the Columbia football team strap up their helmets for just short of a month of practice in preparation for the next season.

Spring training is used to keep players mentally and physically prepared and lays the foundation for the next year’s campaign. The culmination of the spring football season is the Blue and White Game, the Lions’ annual intrasquad scrimmage.

One team will be comprised of players who are expected to start on offense and the anticipated second-team defense while the other will include the predicted starting defense and the second-team offense. These lineups can only predict the layout of next year’s team, as incoming freshmen will not compete, and there is always room for change with five months separating the spring game and kickoff against Fordham.
With the core of next year’s squad taking the field for the Blue and White Game, fans will be able to catch a first glimpse of the what next season might hold. Coming off of a 1-9, 0-7 Ivy League season, the Light Blue will be relying on its returning players to be the catalysts for a 2008 turnaround.

The 79 returning players will be at odds on April 19, trying to lead their individual teams to victory as well as finish spring practice on a strong note. Admission to Kraft Field for the Blue and White Game will be free.