For the first time since 2011, the Dallas Cowboys will not hold their training camp in Oxnard, California. Instead, training camp will take place at ‘The Star’ in Frisco, Texas.
All 32 teams will be required to host their training camps at their team facilities in their respective cities according to Adam Schefter, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cowboys are due to begin training camp late next month. On a positive note, the Cowboys’ practice facility does have an indoor practice field, so the Texas summer heat shouldn’t be a worrisome issue. What’s important is for the Cowboys, is to be able to have a training camp.
Although training camp in Oxnard is traditional for the Cowboys, they do have a history of holding their training camp in Texas. From 1990 to 1997, the Cowboys would have their training camp in Austin at St. Edward’s University. From 1998 to 2001, it was held at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls. Lastly, in 2002, 2003, 2007, and from 2009 to 2011, they held it at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Mike McCarthy, the head coach of the Cowboys, acknowledged that the team has been preparing for training camp whether it would take place in California or in Frisco. In other words, it seems that the team was not concerned about where they would train.
Dallas is scheduled to compete in the annual NFL Hall of Fame Exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Steelers shortly after the two teams start training camp. The Cowboys cannot afford any delays for any reason. With an even shorter preseason before a game than almost any other team, the Cowboys have no time to waste in getting ready for the 2020 season. The team plans to be at full strength by the time they begin the season. Dallas is opening its 2020 season against the Los Angeles Rams in Los Angeles on the Sept. 13.
At this point, it’s still stressed that’s it’s quite unclear if training camps and the 2020 NFL season will begin on schedule. The COVID-19 pandemic has really negatively impacted sports, forcing seasons to suspended. In the NFL’s case, the pandemic forced the NFL to run both free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft virtually. With the season scheduled to begin a little over three months from now, any delays would be catastrophic for the entire league, pushing back the season well into the fall.
