Luke Fickell didn't mince words on Thursday.
The University of Cincinnati football coach, who is entering his sixth season at the helm of the Bearcats program, said the next handful of weeks will be the "most important" stretch of his tenure at Cincinnati.
"For us and the program, this will be as big a spring ball and as big a next four or five weeks as we've had," he said.
Fresh off signing a new contract extension, Fickell will officially open spring camp Saturday morning with his team's first practice since losing to Alabama in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff.