Southern California will be a hub for NFL training camps this year, with the Costa Mesa City Council recently approving a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. This decision means that five NFL teams will be conducting their practices within a 105-mile radius in late July and early August, marking the first time such a cluster of teams has trained in such close proximity since the late 1990s.
Referred to as the 'Cheese League' back in the late 1990s when five teams trained in Wisconsin and Minnesota, this summer's gathering in Southern California has earned the moniker of the 'Beach League.' The teams set to train in the area include the Chargers, Rams, Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders will be utilizing the Jack Hammett Sports Complex for their training camp, a location familiar to new Raiders general manager Tom Telesco, who previously served as the Chargers GM. The Chargers, on the other hand, will be holding their camp at a new facility in El Segundo, following the conclusion of their offseason workouts.
The Saints have chosen UC Irvine as their training site due to construction at their team complex, with the Rams also planning to train in Southern California, although the exact location is yet to be announced. The Rams are currently conducting offseason workouts at California Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks but are expected to move to Woodland Hills later this year.
As for the Cowboys, they have a history of holding a portion of their camp in Oxnard, with the exception of the 2020 pandemic year. The joint workout plans for the five teams have not been disclosed yet, typically being announced after the preseason schedule is released. The NFL is expected to unveil the regular-season schedule next Wednesday.
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