NFL: Training Camps on the Cheap

Even the NFL is looking to save a few bucks as many franchises are choosing to have training camp closer to home

By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek

1. Lanyards, S'Mores, and Kumbaya: NFL Training Camps Open
This summer, like most people we know, the majority of National Football League franchises are going the route of the "staycation," choosing to stick a lot closer to home in order to conserve money in an iffy economy. In many of the NFL teams' cases, as training camps around the country open to veterans and rookies alike, they're camping in their own backyards.

Of the 32 NFL training camps under way this week, 13 are located on university campuses within 200 miles of the team's home base, minimizing traveling expenses (aka cheap dorms) and keeping franchise-related spending by fans within the region. Even closer to home, 17 of the franchises are conducting preseason training camps at their normal training complexes and home stadiums—meaning the team's headquarters staff gets to stay put, sell tickets, and not rack up any travel expenses of their own.

Two NFL teams have secured temporary naming rights deals for their training camp facilities: the Tennessee Titans' Baptist Sports Park in Nashville and the Colts' City at Training Camp sponsored by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. (the Hulman family of Indianapolis 500 fame).

The league's only far-flung rebels? The Kansas City Chiefs are still camping at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls—perhaps they can't give up the Stroh's and muskie fishing? And Jerry Jones, of course, is still convening Dallas Cowboys training camp at the Alamodome in San Antonio—the better to poach Houston Texans fans and solidify a statewide fan base, my dear.

Finally, in Detroit, home of the Cowboys' perennial partner in Thanksgiving Day airtime, the Lions last week announced that their August training camp schedule will include "18 scheduled open practice sessions" as part of an effort to "start making amends" for their dismal 0-16 performance last season, according to The Detriot News. After season-ticket and suite buyers and sponsors get a "sneak preview" of training camp from Aug. 1-4, the public "will be welcome to watch practice almost daily" starting Aug. 5. The team will also host a special day for fans, "Lions Uncaged," at Ford Field on Aug. 8.

2. Meanwhile, Back at NFL Team HQs…
Once again, the NFL tops a poll of sports fans conducted by the ESPN Sports Poll, which asked respondents to name their favorite spectator sport. The NFL garnered 24.4% of votes for the entire year of 2008, compared with the 22% of votes the league had won in 2003. Following the NFL were MLB at 11% (12.7% in 2003, a small decline), college football at 9.5% (7.4% in 2003), the NBA at 6.3% (down from 9.5% in 2003), and college basketball (3.9% as compared to 4.7% in 2003).

The New York Jets sent an e-mail to fans on their season-ticket waiting list, informing them that seats at every price range are still available. In previous years, only a limited number of people on the wait list were given the opportunity to buy seats, but this season, they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. On the other hand, the New York Giants are sold out for the 2009 campaign.

The Giants have also signed a one-year sponsorship deal with gasoline company BP (BP), which will include promotion at retail locations, online contests, and appearances by former players. BP has 350-plus stations in the New York/New Jersey area: This will be one of their largest sports sponsorships to date.

Looking ahead to the 2010 season, the Giants are "cutting the price on many of the remaining unsold tickets in their new Meadowlands stadium by around 37% in hopes of reigniting interest," according to the New York Post. The cut "comes after a yearlong…marketing job that sold all but roughly 4,000 seats" in the new 82,500-seat facility the franchise will share with the Jets. Reduced club seat tickets, which still include a $7,500 personal-seat-license fee, will now cost fans $250 per game instead of $400 a game—a savings of $1,500 a season—for the 10 home games (which includes two preseason games). Giants CEO John Mara also said that construction on the new stadium is "five months ahead of schedule," and the venue "could be finished as soon as November," well ahead of the 2010 season.

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