Sports

Baltimore Ravens Opt Out of Training Camp at McDaniel College

The Ravens end a 15-year tradition due to lockout uncertainty.

The Baltimore Ravens this summer will end a 15-year tradition of holding training camp at McDaniel College, opting to stay at their permanent facility in Owings Mills because of the NFL lockout, the team announced Wednesday.

As Patch reported earlier, the Ravens contract with McDaniel expired after last year's training camp and a new contract was never announced.

“We’re disappointed we won’t be back at McDaniel and in Westminster this summer,” Bob Eller, the Ravens’ vice president of operations, said in a statement.

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Due to the uncertainty brought by the lockout, schedules were difficult to coordinate, he said.

“Right now, we don’t know dates for camp, and we’ve been forced to make other plans,” he said.

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Eller told Patch as late as March he was hopeful a deal could be worked out with McDaniel. “The experience has been a positive one for the team, our fans and hopefully Carroll County, Westminster and McDaniel College," he said.

Last summer 112,051 fans visited McDaniel campus to be a part of Ravens Training Camp.

Westminster Mayor Kevin Utz told Patch in late March that local businesses will suffer without the training camp.

“The biggest impact for Westminster will be in terms of restaurants and businesses that will see less activity,” Utz said.  “Not only do people stop to eat at restaurants, they also get a chance see what Westminster is about. If training camp isn’t at McDaniel, it will limit our exposure.”

The trend of many NFL teams has been to move their training camps into their regular season facilities to save money.

“One of the main issues we have is the time it takes to move our entire football operation to Westminster and then bring it back to Owings Mills,” Eller said in a statement. “Those are days we can’t afford to lose as our team prepares for the season in what has become a condensed time period.”

He said the team will miss the interaction with the fans, which he called “a huge part of our camp experience.”

Ethan Seidel, McDaniel College’s vice president of administration and finance, reacted in a statement on the Ravens web site:

“We’ve appreciated the Ravens keeping us in the loop through this process,” he said. “We’re certainly not surprised by this and have been prepared for this scenario. When the NFL has its new agreement, we look forward to speaking with the Ravens about continuing our partnership with them.”

The Ravens’ lease agreement with Baltimore County does not allow for fans to attend practices in Owings Mills, the team statement said.

Team President Dick Cass said the team has begun discussions with McDaniel College to return to Westminster for future Ravens training camps.

Once a new collective bargaining agreement between the franchises and the players is reached, the Ravens will announce practice schedules, the team said on its website. Cass said an effort will be made to allow free attendance at practices at M&T Bank Stadium.


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