Ravens' Contract with McDaniel College Expired

The Baltimore Ravens have been coming to Westminster for training camp since their inaugural season in 1996, before Western Maryland College changed its name to McDaniel College. In March 1997, the Ravens signed a five-year deal to continue using the facility, a three-year renewal in May 2002 and a six-year extension in March 2004.

The contract expired after last year's training camp and a new contract for the Ravens to use McDaniel as a training facility has yet to be signed.

Ravens Vice President of Operations Bob Eller said the team has been in discussions with McDaniel College since last spring about renewing. 

"One of the obstacles we both face for this year is the timing of camp if a work stoppage occurs," Eller said. 

The NFL is now in contract talks with players in Washington.

The NFL and union officials agreed Friday to extend the league-union negotiations for another seven days, putting the deadline at 5 p.m. March 11.

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

In a  July 2010 article on ESPN.com, author Len Pasquarelli wrote, "For the second straight season, and the third time in four summers, 17 teams will conduct training camps at or near their regular-season home bases. In 2002, the number of clubs that opened training camps at home was still in single digits and just five franchises had camps on their home turf in 2001. But the days of trekking to some small college to conduct scrimmages and sweat in a bucolic place are over for most franchises."

The Ravens have given no indication of any change in their relationship with McDaniel College. 

Ellers said in an e-mail earlier this week, "We are hopeful that we can continue the relationship with them that dates from 1996. The experience has been a positive one for the team, our fans and hopefully Carroll County, Westminster and McDaniel College." 

No one at McDaniel College could be reached for comment.

For a more complete look at the history of the Baltimore football franchise using Westminster facilities for training camp, all the way back to the Colts in the 1960s, see Dialogue Has Begun on McDaniel Contract by Joe Platania at www.pressboxonline.com.