GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The 2017 edition of the North Dakota football team reported to campus on Tuesday afternoon for the start of fall camp. For a majority of the players, it was a day to move into the dormitories on campus, get fitted for equipment, eat dinner together at Wilkerson Commons and get the first official team meeting under their belts. Forty-two letterwinners from last year's Big Sky Championship team made up a majority of the 102 players that currently encompass the 2017 fall roster.

Those returning letterwinners were joined by a 2017 freshman class that includes 23 new additions and wide receiver Cam McKinney, who participated in spring drills for the Fighting Hawks. There were two late adds to that rookie class who accepted camp invitations: running back Tyrell Harris (Magnolia, Texas) and defensive back Eli Allen (Valley City, N.D.). Harris is no stranger to the Peace Garden State after spending his junior season of high school football for Dickinson before moving back to the Lone Star State to complete his prep career.

Another new addition to the roster is defensive back Tykeise Johnson, who played the past two seasons at Central Lakes College. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder made 31 tackles and had three interceptions as a sophomore. Johnson will have two seasons of eligibility for the Fighting Hawks. It was also announced that a former letterwinner is back on the roster as punter Mitch Meindel rejoined the team for what will be his senior season in 2017. He was the team's starting punter as a true freshman in 2013 and as a junior in 2015. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the coaching staff along with 13 players participated in the team's annual Media Day Luncheon at the Alerus Center. There were more than a half-dozen media entities on hand at the event and, collectively, they produced a wide-variety of content for Fighting Hawks fans to consume (see list below) before their team hits the practice field for the first time on Thursday.

Before that can happen, the team will spend Wednesday in a handful of meetings across campus that includes one with the compliance department first thing in the morning. UND's sports medicine department will also conduct pre-physicals before lunch. The team will then venture over to the Grand Forks Family Residency for full physicals before a team dinner and position meetings bring a close to day two.

Head coach Bubba Schweigert announced Wednesday afternoon that offensive lineman Elijah Grady did not report to campus on Tuesday and the program is moving forward without him on the roster.  

ICYMI: Stories and podcasts from Media Day
UND Insider | Head coach Bubba Schweigert's Media Day Address
740 The Fan | Podcast: Head Coach Bubba Schweigert
740 The Fan | Podcast: Offensive Coordiantor Paul Rudolph
740 The Fan | Podcast: Defensive Coordinator Eric Schmidt
740 The Fan | Podcast: Keaton Studsrud and Cole Reyes
Fighting Hawks Nest | Podcast: Brandon Dranka excited for season opener against Utah
Fighting Hawks Nest | Podcast: Noah Wanzek feeling comfortable entering second season with UND
Fighting Hawks Nest | Podcast: John Santiago says they can't dwell on the way last season finished
Grand Forks Herald | UND defense hoping to handle Harris loss
Area Voices | UND Media Day marks the start of football season
WDAZ | UND looking at corner depth to try to fill void left by Deion Harris injury
WDAZ | UND football has high expectations for this coming season
WDAY | UND enters new year as Big Sky favorite
WDAY | Three's Company: UND with packed backfield
KVRR | UND Football ready to put last season's success behind them
KVLY | Fighting Hawks using last year's disappointment to fuel this year

Here is the complete 2017 Fall Camp key dates and a practice schedule: 

Dates and times are subject to change | All practices are scheduled for Memorial Stadium |
All fall camp practices are open to the public and media

-- UND --