Today begins the 2011-12 sports season throughout the state of Michigan.

Football teams across the state will begin practice today. Most teams will be holding two-a-days as they must conduct three days of conditioning before strapping on the pads and beginning contact on Thursday.

The Niles football team will begin its first practice for grades 10-12 at 2 p.m. and will conclude practice at 8:30 p.m. The freshmen squad will practice from 6 to 8 p.m. All conditioning will be conducted at the practice fields behind the high school.

Over at Brandywine, the Bobcats will begin their preseason drills at 9 a.m. The second session will begin at 6 p.m.

There will be a parents-coaches meeting in the high school lecture hall beginning at 7 p.m.

The remaining teams will begin practice on Wednesday.

Here are the practice times for the Niles teams:

• Boys’ tennis — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. at the high school courts. Tryouts will take place at the same time on Thursday and Friday

• Cross country — 8 a.m. at the high school

• Girls’ golf — 10 a.m. at Hampshire Country Club

• Boys’ soccer — 8:30 to 10 a.m. conditioning on the track and 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the soccer field

• Volleyball — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the high school gym, lunch break from noon to 1 p.m. (bring a sack lunch)

Here is the practice schedule for the Brandywine teams:

• Boys’ soccer — 3 to 6 p.m. at the soccer field

• Cross country — 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the high school

• Volleyball — 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the high school gym

• Cheerleading — Thursday beginning at 2 p.m.; Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon; Aug. 22-25 10 a.m. to noon.