In 2014, the Greenbrier lured the Saints to West Virginia for training camp. After a three-year run with the Saints, the Greenbrier persuaded the Texans to give it a try for two years.
The Greenbrier went back to being not an NFL training camp in 2019, but the resort could be back in business after a one-year hiatus.
As explained by Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, teams that may be displaced from their current training camps due to the pandemic have called the Greenbrier regarding the possibility of training there. Ultimately, the Greenbrier could have many suitors, allowing the Greenbrier to essentially auction off the ability to bring an NFL team to town. At a minimum, the Greenbrier can (and should) seek a multi-year commitment.
The climate made the Greenbrier perfect for teams in warm-weather cities that play in climate-controlled stadiums, like the Saints and the Texans. The attraction this time around comes from the ability to essentially quarantine the team for multiple weeks in a state that will allow the gatherings and practices, while focusing on football and only football.
Seven years ago, the Greenbrier (owned by Jim Justice, who became the state’s governor three years later) quickly assembled training-camp facilities for the Saints. Surely, the Greenbrier can quickly accommodate any team that uses the place for training-camp practices.
The Cardinals already have been connected to the Greenbrier as a potential headquarters between a pair of East Coast games in Week Four and Week Five. However it plays out, the only requirement for a team that comes to West Virginia will be to f--kin’ follow the guidelines.
