When Alcorn State opens spring practice on Monday, the Braves had better get a good look around. They won’t be in Lorman very often next season.

Alcorn will play only three home football games in 2006, all in a five-week span from late September to late October.

It is the second time in three seasons that the Braves will play fewer than half their games at Jack Spinks Stadium. In 2004, they only had four games there. Alcorn head coach Dr. Johnny Thomas said the home-and-home nature of most series contributed to the uneven schedule.

&#8220That’s the way our schedule is. It’s been that way since I’ve been here,” said Thomas, who will enter his ninth season as Braves coach in 2006. &#8220Langston came to us last year, and Louisiana-Monroe was a game we thought we needed to take advantage of to give us some flexibility in our schedule next year.”

Alcorn could contend for the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division title next season, but Thomas said the schedule won’t be a factor in the team’s success or failure.

&#8220We lost football games at home last year, and won some away. We just have to be prepared mentally to play home and away,” Thomas said. &#8220Homefield advantage, I don’t know about that.”

They open the season on Sept. 2 at Louisiana-Monroe, then face Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Langston the next two weeks. Langston, an NAIA school located in Oklahoma, is Alcorn’s farthest opponent in terms of distance.

&#8220That’s very nice, and that’s going to help us a little bit,” Thomas said.

Alcorn finally returns to Lorman for its home opener on Sept. 23, against SWAC rival Alabama State. That kicks off the only homestand of the season. A bye week and another road game against Prairie View follow, before the Braves return home to host Texas Southern on Oct. 14 and Southern on Oct. 21.

After that, Alcorn finishes up with road games at Mississippi Valley State, Alabama A&M, Jackson State and Grambling.