Vermillion, S.D. -- The South Dakota football team opened its 2011 spring season on Saturday, April 2 at noon in Sioux City, Iowa. Coach Ed Meierkort's Coyotes will hold 14 practices over a span of 19 days before concluding with the annual Red/White Spring game on April 21 at the DakotaDome.

The opening practice was held at Morningside College's Elwood Olsen Stadium in Sioux City. South Dakota is back in Vermillion on April 3, where it will hold practice at the fields east of the DakotaDome. All but two practices will be held at the USD practice fields, weather-permitting. The Coyotes will also hold a practice in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Saturday, April 16 at Bob Young Field. A full practice schedule can be accessed by clicking on the link above.

South Dakota's practices are open for the media and public to attend. The annual Red and White game is set for 7 p.m. on April 21 at the DakotaDome. Admission is free to that event.

The Coyotes return a total of 13 players who received All-Great West Conference honors in 2010, including four first-team selections. Offensive lineman Tom Compton (Rosemount, Minn.), running back Chris Ganious (Houston, Texas), junior linebacker Adam Broders (Bloomfield, Neb.) and punter Cole Zwiefelhofer (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) were all first-team selections in 2010. Compton is an emerging NFL prospect while Ganious has led the Coyotes in rushing in back-to-back seasons. Broders was third on the team in tackles a year ago while Zwiefelhofer was the GWC Special Teams Player of the Year.

South Dakota also returns starting quarterback Dante Warren (Arlington Heights, Ill.), who accounted for 2,530 yards of total offense in 2010, and standout wide receiver Will Powell (Sioux Falls, S.D.), who led the team with 47 catches for 933 yards and 10 touchdowns.

South Dakota returns 18 starters - plus returns its punter, kicker and kick returner -- from last year's 4-7 team, which posted a big 41-38 win over Big Ten foe Minnesota in Week 2 and lost just five seniors.