The Dallas Cowboys can officially set their plans for the week-long Hall of Fame party honoring owner Jerry Jones.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday that the Cowboys will play the Arizona Cardinals in the annual Hall of Fame Game, set for Aug. 3 at the new Tom Benson Stadium.
The game will be played two days before Jones will be officially inducted as a member of the Class of 2017 on Aug. 5.
In between, Jones will hold his Hall of Fame party on Friday, Aug. 4.
It will result in an extended stay in Canton, Ohio, for the Cowboys, who will likely arrive on Wednesday, play the game on Thursday, have Friday off, conduct a light practice on Saturday and then fly back to training camp on Sunday.
It also means that the Cowboys have an earlier than normal start to training camp, not just because they are playing in the Hall of Fame game, but also because the game has been moved from the traditional Sunday slot, one day after the induction ceremony to Thursday, two days before.
Teams generally start training camp two weeks before the first preseason game.
It's the Cowboys' sixth all-time appearance Hall of Fame Game, including 1968, 1979, 1999, 2010, 2013. The past two coincided with the inductions of Emmitt Smith and Larry Allen, respectively.
