A few weeks ago, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones tried to mask his enthusiasm for the team's planned return to Oxnard, California to open their 62nd training camp on July 21, but still told us, "All systems go.''
All systems are now officially go.
“We’re looking forward to getting back to training camp in Oxnard and getting back to normal,” said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones in a Tuesday afternoon statement making the plan official. “I view the team’s return to Oxnard as a very positive sign that the Cowboys and the NFL are moving one big step closer toward the traditional camp, preseason and regular season experience that we have been accustomed to for generations, and that includes everything from the players, the fans at practice, the media, and, of course, the great weather in Southern California.”
The 2021 camp will mark the 42nd year that the team has trained in Southern California and the 15th season that the club has spent all, or a portion of, its camp at the Oxnard location.
Fans will be able to attend all practice sessions that are open to the public, beginning with the first workout at 11 a.m. (Pacific time) on Thursday, July 22. The annual camp opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, July 24 at 10 a.m. (Pacific) followed by an 11 a.m. practice session.
Highlighting this year’s camp will be a trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Thursday night August 5 for a meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers that will be broadcast nationally by FOX at 7 p.m. (Central time). Following that game, the team will return to California and conduct a joint practice session with the Los Angeles Rams at the River Ridge Fields in Oxnard on Saturday, August 7.
The practice with the Rams will be televised live on the Dallas Cowboys Television Network, as well as national coverage on the NFL Network, and on flagship radio station 105.3 The Fan.
Last year, of course, the pandemic prevented the Cowboys and the NFL from conducting their usual camp business.
“We learned last year that the absence of NFL preseason games, and the training camps being closed to the public, were things that our fans really missed as part of the ramp up period heading into the regular season,'' Jones said. "We believe our approach to this year’s camp and preseason will help us provide a safely managed return to the July and August weeks that have been such an important part of our country’s football culture for decades. This time of team-building and preparation will serve as a strong foundation for a successful 2021 season for all 32 of the NFL clubs—and most importantly the fans of all of those teams.”
Additional details regarding fan attendance, safety protocols and parking at Cowboys practices in Oxnard will be announced at a later time.
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