New Orleans Saints fans in Louisiana will have plenty of opportunities to see their team this summer. Right now, the plan is for joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars to be open to the public, head coach Kellen Moore said Wednesday. Additionally, Moore said the team is planning to practice in front of fans at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium on Aug. 26, days before their preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s unclear if joint practices with the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams in California will be open to the public, but the Saints likely won’t host those sessions so it may not be up to them.
It’s good to see the team make an effort to invite local fans to observe practice. These free, family-friendly events are the best chance many fans get to see their favorite players in person and cheer them on. With the Saints having moved training camp to California while playing a home game in France in recent years, their fans back home have taken the short end of the stick. This isn’t fully balancing things out but it’s a step in the right direction.
Dates are subject to change, but here’s what the plan may look like (in broad strokes):
- July 29: First Saints training camp practice (in Metairie, La.)
- Aug. 12-13: Saints-Jaguars joint practices (in Metairie, La.); unconfirmed
- Aug. 15: Saints vs. Jaguars preseason game (in New Orleans, La.)
- Aug. 18: Saints-Cowboys joint practices (in Oxnard, Calif.); unconfirmed
- Aug. 20: Saints-Rams joint practices (in Carson, Calif.); unconfirmed
- Aug. 22: Saints at Rams preseason game (Inglewood, Calif.)
- Aug. 26: Saints practice at Tulane (in New Orleans, La.)
- Aug. 28: Saints at Cowboys preseason game (in Arlington, Texas)
Details are still being worked out, but the Saints also plan on opening up training camp in Metairie just as they did last year. Moore added that camp will start on July 29 this year, a week later than in past offseasons, but the majority of work will be done at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Airline Drive. Stay tuned for info on just how many practice sessions will be open to the public and how you can claim your spot.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints invite fans to Jaguars joint practices, open practice at Tulane