Arizona Cardinals training camp to remain in Flagstaff
Jun 29, 2011, 3:18 PM | Updated: 4:32 pm
Although there is no timetable as to when training camp will take place, the Arizona Cardinals will remain loyal to the city of Flagstaff.
The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens have shifted their training camp to team headquarters, but the Cardinals are among a group of 13 teams that have decided training camp will take place in its regular spot.
The team’s stay in Flagstaff may be shorter than normal, but Northern Arizona University will welcome them no matter what.
“We’ve been hosting the Arizona Cardinals sin 1988, so we’re ready,” NAU public affairs coordinator Tracie Hansen told USA Today. “We’d welcome the Cardinals for however long we’d have them here, and we’d certainly benefit from the regional impact.”
Football on its own is exciting, but NAU and the city of Flagstaff would also welcome the Cardinals because of the strong impact an NFL training camp has on the local economy.
According to an economic impact study by NAU’s Rural Policy Institute, the Cardinals’ three-week stay last year brought $7 million directly to the Flagstaff, Ariz., area with a nearly $10 million impact for the region. Of 38,200 fans attending practices and scrimmages, the study found, 81% were out-of-towners with more than half staying overnight.
As of late there has been progress in the NFL labor negotiations and it appears that football may be on the horizon. Fans, players and owners definitely want the game of football back, but it appears cities and businesses cannot wait for football either.
