When the Saints go marching in
Jul
2006
Millsaps College will get some very large visitors for the summer when the New Orleans Saints set up training camp at the Jackson, Miss.-based school. The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger provides an interesting look at how the College is preparing for its visitors, including field preparation (see photo also from the Clarion-Ledger).
The economic details are interesting, though there isn’t enough to make concrete conclusions here. The article mentions that the school and NFL team will share the $400,000 cost, but it’s not clear what the split is. Rose-Hulman, which hosts the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp, reports $30,000 to $40,000 in concessions and parking revenue from one month. Millsaps will also benefit from national exposure, particularly as NFL correspondents check out top pick Reggie Bush and new quarterback Drew Brees.
Other NFL teams that camp out at Division III schools include:
Baltimore Ravens at McDaniel
Buffalo Bills at St. John Fisher
Green Bay Packers at St. Norbert
Kansas City Chiefs at UW-River Falls
Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Vincent (begins Division III play in 2007)
July 15th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Although some in the media have slammed the choice of the Saints setting up camp so far from home, it’s a good location. That photo is of one of the auxiliary practice fields, with grass. That’s Jackson’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in the background, a fine size for a pro game (and they will play one preseason game there). The stadium is walking distance from campus, though I don’t expect the team will make them walk there.
Millsaps also has a recently installed turf field at its main stadium.
July 15th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
St. Olaf (1961) and Cal Lutheran (1963-??) hosted the Dallas Cowboys for summer camp over the Cowboys’ 47-year history. Cal Lutheran hosted for many years (not sure exactly how many).
July 15th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
Interesting. The Cowboys trained at Cal Lutheran until 1989. Didn’t know that before this.
July 15th, 2006 at 11:18 pm
The Cleveland Browns held camp at Hiram College (1952-74).
July 16th, 2006 at 8:28 am
I believe that the Browns used to have their regular season facilities at Baldwin Wallace College.
When I was at Mount Union (1990-1994) there was a rumor that the Steelers were once looking at having their training camp at MTU, but the school (being Methodist and all) would not allow the sale of beer at the practices, thus the Steelers choose elsewhere. Don’t know if that is true or not but Jack Lambert used to host a football camp in Alliance so there was that connection.
July 16th, 2006 at 8:53 am
And in the 60s the Browns’ regular season facility was at Western Reserve.
July 20th, 2006 at 10:11 am
Up until just recently the Cincinnati Bengals held training camp at Wilmington College.
July 20th, 2006 at 10:25 pm
The Redskins have trained at Dickinson and Frostburg State within the past decade.
July 24th, 2006 at 12:07 am
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/SPORTS02/607230349/0/SPORTS
The (Jackson MS) Clarion-Ledger has a feature article about the Saints in the Sunday paper.
July 26th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
The Oilers (RIP, you young’uns know ‘em as the Titans) were at Trinity (TX) for a couple years in the 80s. Or was it the 90s?
July 31st, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Millsaps looked pretty good as the backdrop to a Reggie Bush update on SportsCenter just now.