PHOTOS: Alabama Football Starts Classes, Holds Afternoon Practice on Wednesday

The Alabama football team began classes on Wednesday with the start of the 2018-19 academic year. The Crimson Tide followed the day in the classroom with a full-pad practice at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields.

Wednesday’s session began at 3:30 p.m. CT and lasted roughly two years. Alabama is in preparation for its season-opening contest with Louisville in the Camping World Kickoff Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 1. The matchup between the Tide and Cardinals is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on ABC.

Practices will begin at 3:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the Tide taking Sunday off before beginning game week preparations on Monday.

Alabama returns 12 starters from last season's squad that finished 13-1 and won the school’s 17^th national championship. The Tide has claimed four of the last six SEC titles and five of the last nine national championships. Across the last 10 seasons under head coach Nick Saban Alabama owns a 125-14 (.899) record.