Tag: Training Camp

Broncos owner Greg Penner excited for ‘terrific’ new training facility

“The spaces are going to be terrific,” Greg Penner said of the Broncos’ new practice facility that will begin construction this spring.

Last fall, the Denver Broncos announced $175 million plans for a new, state-of-the-art practice facility at their Dove Valley headquarters.

The team will begin construction this spring and the project aims to be completed by 2026. Once the new facility is finished, the old building will be removed and replaced with a berm for fans to watch training camp.

One of the biggest motivations for building the new facility was getting all of the team’s employees under one roof at their Centura Health Training Center. Players will also now have shorter distances to go from the locker room to the indoor practice facility.

“Our building right now is actually great,” team owner/CEO Greg Penner said during an end-of-season press conference on Jan. 9. “The challenge is as it gets older, we kept putting more and more money in it to keep it up to the standard that it needed to be at. It has also gotten small, and it’s very difficult to expand. We really wanted to have an opportunity to bring more of our business folks down from the stadium, get people in one building, and then have a building that’s really player-focused and central.

“It’s all about the players. Instead of having the main building, the strength and conditioning area and the practice facility, we’ll pull it all together. The spaces are going to be terrific. We think it’ll raise the expectations for the players and the organization.”

Here is a rendering of what the new facility will look like, provided by the team. The team plans to put in temporary bleachers so fans can attend training camp practices in 2024 and 2025 while the site is under construction.

Last year, the Broncos announced their training camp schedule in June.

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Broncos are likely a top contender for ‘Hard Knocks’ in 2024

If the NFL asks the Broncos to be featured on Hard Knocks in 2024, the club can’t turn them down.

Each summer, NFL Films follows a team through training camp and preseason to film Hard Knocks, HBO’s behind-the-scenes look at life in the NFL.

Teams can volunteer for the show, but they rarely do. (The Denver Broncos have been asked to be featured in the past and have politely declined.)

If the Broncos are asked to feature on the show in 2024, they can’t say no.

If a club has a new head coach or has been on the show within the last ten years or has made the playoffs within the last two years, the league can’t force them into Hard Knocks. If a team does not fall under any of those categories, they’re fair game.

The Broncos do not have a new coach, they have never been featured on Hard Knocks and they haven’t made the playoffs in eight years. If so desired, the NFL can choose them for 2024, and Denver couldn’t say no.

Other options could include the Chicago Bears, who may or may not use the No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback, and the Indianapolis Colts, who will be going into Year 2 with Anthony Richardson under center.

Those are interesting stories, but the post-Russell Wilson era (presumably with a rookie QB coming in) likely makes Sean Payton and the Broncos a top candidate for the show. The fact that Payton has already hinted at the slightest of openness to Hard Knocks might be a sign of things to come.

The NFL announced the 2023 Hard Knocks team (the New York Jets) last July. Two years ago, the 2022 team (the Detroit Lions) was announced in March. So there’s a big window for an announcement to be made.

Nothing is official yet, and Denver certainly isn’t a lock, but the Broncos would be a logical choice for Hard Knocks in 2024.

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100 photos from Panthers training camp in Spartanburg

Gallery: 100 photos from Carolina Panthers training camp in Spartanburg

The Carolina Panthers closed the book on their summer visits to Sparkle City, as the team announced on Wednesday they will not hold training camp at Wofford College moving forward.

So, let’s take a look back on that book for 100 of the greatest photos from Spartanburg:

Panthers fans react to team’s decision to move training camp from Spartanburg

The Panthers will not be holding training camp in Spartanburg moving forward. Here’s what their fans think about the big change:

On Wednesday morning, the Carolina Panthers announced some huge changes to how (and where) they’ll be preparing starting next season. Among the developments is the end of the road to Spartanburg, S.C.—as the team will no longer hold training camp at Wofford College.

Wofford, the alma mater of team founder and previous owner Jerry Richardson, hosted the Panthers for their annual summer workouts since their inception. But that run will come to an end, as the team will stick around in Charlotte starting in 2024.

Here’s how the fan base is reacting to the news:

Panthers announce huge changes for training camp, practice facility

The Panthers will no longer hold training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.

Farewell, Sparkle City.

The Carolina Panthers announced on Wednesday morning that they will no longer hold training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. They will, instead, remain in Charlotte for their summer workouts—ending a near 30-year-old partnership with the institution.

Kristi Coleman, President of the Carolina Panthers, said the following through the organization’s official release:

“We’re excited to hold training camp at our facility in Charlotte. We appreciate Wofford and the Spartanburg community for their hospitality over the years. We are dedicated to the fans in South Carolina, and we will continue to bring fan and community events to the state.”

Wofford College hosted the Panthers for training camp since the team’s inception in 1995. The franchise does, however, plan to feature Fan Fest—usually held at Bank of America Stadium—in South Carolina.

The Panthers also announced that the Atrium Health Dome, located across from Bank of America Stadium, will be removed at the end of the regular season in January. The changes will provide the space for three full practice fields, an upgrade from the one full field (and three-fourths of another) players and coaches currently use.

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Broncos announce plans for new $175 million practice facility and headquarters

This will replace the team’s existing headquarters building.

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday announced they would be building a new, state-of-the-art practice facility at their Dove Valley headquarters beginning in the spring of 2024. They plan to have it completed in 2026.

The facility will eventually replace the current headquarters but will connect to the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse, which was completed in 2014. Once the new facility is completed, the old building will be demolished, and a berm for fans to watch training camp will take its place.

According to a statement released by the team, the new facility will be a 205,000-square-foot, three-story building, bringing together the football and business aspects of the team under one roof. The details, released on the team’s website, show that the building “will feature an additional 21,000-plus square feet of player space — approximately one-third larger than the existing space — for an expanded locker room, meeting rooms, sports performance areas and other areas.”

The project, expected to cost $175 million, will be entirely funded by the Walton-Penner ownership group, which is aiming for it to be completed before the 2026 season. Team president Damani Leach said the group toured the facilities of several other teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and others, in order to get an idea of what to include in the project.

The owners of the Broncos, who first took the reins in 2022, have shown their willingness to spare no expense in trying to rebuild the championship culture of the franchise. Over the winter, Denver made a $100 million investment in various improvements at Empower Field at Mile High, including enlarging the scoreboard.

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Recap: Sunday’s 2023-24 OKC Thunder training camp

Here’s a quick recap of Sunday’s Thunder training camp as Mark Daigneault, Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins spoke to media.

The Oklahoma City Thunder held the final day of training camp on Sunday ahead of their preseason opener against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, Oct. 9.

After camp, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and wings Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins spoke with the media.

During the session, Daigneault revealed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss their preseason opener for rest purposes, and Vasilije Micic will miss it due to an ankle sprain.

Practice footage was also recorded and tweeted by media who were in attendance on Sunday.

Let’s recap what the trio had to say as the 2023-24 training camp comes to a close.

Jrue Holiday stops Jaylen Brown in his tracks on his first day with the Boston Celtics

Holiday addressed the NBA media for the first time as part of the Celtics and participated in his initial practice with the storied ball club on this past Wednesday.

New Boston Celtics floor general Jrue Holiday addressed the NBA media for the first time as part of the Celtics and participated in his initial practice with the storied ball club on this past Wednesday.

During the practice, Holiday’s impact was immediately noticeable by all in attendance. The UCLA alum demonstrated his defensive skill by stopping All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown, a notably strong player, in his tracks on one particular play. Holiday’s leadership style seems to be more reserved compared to some of the louder personalities on the team, but he is expected to lead by example on the court.

CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning and Josue Pavon share their insights on his press briefing and the championship ambiance during the session on a recent episode of the “Garden Report” podcast embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Recap: Friday’s 2023-24 OKC Thunder training camp

Here’s what happened during Friday’s Thunder training camp:

The Oklahoma City Thunder held the fourth day of their 2022-23 training camp on Friday.

Following practice, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, forward Jaylin Williams and rookie Cason Wallace spoke with the media. The Thunder are days away from their preseason opener against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, Oct. 9.

Prior to the trio talking to the media, practice footage was recorded of several players still in the facility. The final two players on the court were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who were working together.

Let’s recap what Daigneault, Williams and Wallace had to say following Friday’s practice.

Recap: Thursday’s 2023-24 OKC Thunder training camp

Here’s what happened on Thursday’s 2023-24 OKC Thunder training camp as Mark Daigneault, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams spoke:

The Oklahoma City Thunder concluded their third day of training camp on Thursday as the preseason opener against the San Antonio Spurs inches closer.

Following camp, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams spoke with the media. Practice footage was also recorded by the media prior to the trio talking.

Giddey and Williams both spoke about their experiences with practicing with Chet Holmgren throughout camp following his season-long absence last year. The 2022 No. 2 pick is set to make his NBA debut this season.

Let’s recap what Daigneault, Giddey and Williams had to say along with practice footage uploaded on social media following the third day of training camp.