The Saints are officially headed to Southern California for training camp.
New Orleans announced on Friday that due to the ongoing construction project at team headquarters, the club will hold training camp at the University of California, Irvine.
Jeff Duncan of nola.com previously reported the Saints were close to striking a deal with UC Irvine in mid-February.
“Currently, Mrs. Benson and our organization have invested in the construction of a new cafeteria, that when completed, will be among the finest in the National Football League,” General Manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement released by the team. “The scope of this project makes it difficult to host training camp on-site in 2024, given the extensive needs for our team to prepare for the regular season. We appreciate the outstanding support we have received from our great fans at training camp. We are thankful to be able to come to an agreement with the University of California, Irvine to host training camp, providing us with exceptional fields and facilities that are critical to our football team receiving the necessary work in preparation for the 2024 season.”
The Saints have made several recent trips to Southern California for joint practices with the Chargers, including last year.
The Rams previously used UC Irvine for their training camp from 2016-2019 and 2021-2023. In 2024, they are planning to move camp to a new location, which could be the team’s facility in Woodland Hills, Calif.
The Saints will be the fourth team to host training camp in Southern California this summer. In addition to the Rams and Chargers, the Cowboys have been hosting training camp in Oxnard, Calif. for years.
