FAYETTEVILLE - Fans can begin getting their first look at the Arkansas football team under new Coach Bobby Petrino when the Razorbacks open spring practice at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Petrino said all of the Razorbacks' 15 practices this spring will be open to the fans, unless weather forces the team to go inside Walker Pavilion.

"I like going out to practice and seeing the fans there," Petrino said Monday. "I think it generates an enthusiasm by our players. I think they sense how important it is to everybody."

Petrino said he also wants his players to learn to concentrate and focus in front of a crowd because that's what they'll have to do in games.

"We have to be alert to the weather, because if we do have to go inside, we can't bring the fans inside," Petrino said. "There's just not enough room in there.

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" Obviously, we'd have some visiting coaches or some ex-players that go inside when we do that, but there wouldn't be room for the fans... They have to be able to adjust to the weather."

Petrino said he's not sure how many fans will take him up on his invitation to watch spring practice, but he's been pleased by the response he's gotten during speaking engagements at Razorback Club meetings this spring.

"It's been great," he said. "People are excited. People want to see the ball in the air, throw it around a little bit.

" Obviously, we have to do both [pass and run ]. But people seem to really want to see the ball in the air, so we'll throw it around as much as we can."

Petrino said it's too early to say what his policy will be regarding fall practices.

"If I could, I would have everything open all the time," Petrino said. "But unfortunately somebody invented the Internet, and that's the thing [that ] really has shut down practices.

" You can't have after you practice someone going online and saying such and such got injured today, looks like he might be out.

" Or in another respect, people get online and say, 'This receiver looked terrible today. He dropped five balls. I don't see how he'll ever play for Arkansas.'

" Unfortunately, our players get on there and read that, and it certainly does affect some guys different ways. If there wasn't that aspect of it, I'd have practices open all the time."