In just eight days, the Pittsburgh Steelers will arrive in full force at Saint Vincent College for 2019 training camp. This year will mark the 54th straight season the Steelers have made the 45-mile trek to Unity Township for camp.
But is it time for the tradition to come to an end? Across the league, the number of teams leaving home for training camp is on a steady decline. In 2000, 21 of the then-31 NFL franchises did camp away from home. In 2019, only 10 of 32 teams will go out of town for training camp.
There are plenty of reasons for an NFL team to stay home for camp. It’s much more efficient for a team to be at their own training facilities with all the equipment at their disposal. It also allows players to stay at home with their families in familiar surroundings.
The notion of cramming a bunch of grown men into dorm rooms for weeks for the sake of tradition seems silly at this point. Rest and rehab are vital during camp and there’s no way players get either at an acceptable level at Saint Vincent College.
You see where we fall on this debate but we want to hear from you. Cast your vote and tell us if you think Pittsburgh needs to bring their training camp philosophy to the modern era.
