Training camp ( National Football League ) In the National Football League , training camp refers to the time before the season commences . During this time , teams will sometimes congregate at an outside location , usually a university , to conduct training camp for at least the first few weeks . This is similar to baseball ' s spring training . Training camp is used in several different ways . New players and coaches use it to acclimate themselves to new teammates and systems . For younger players , it serves as a period of evaluation ; for veterans , it is time to round back into form . Training camp is divided into several different components . The first is scrimmages . These are pseudo - games where teams run nearly full games ' worth of plays . Sometimes , two practice sessions are held on the same day . This concept is referred to as " two - a - days " . Other parts of training camp include drills , meetings with coaches and other players at one ' s position , weight training , and pre - season games . The latter half of training camp leads directly into the exhibition season . With NFL training camps starting in late - July , the biggest concern has been dehydration . In 2001 , Minnesota Vikings player Korey Stringer died of a medical condition based from dehydration and heatstroke . The death of Stringer prompted the NFL to change their training policies . At each practice , every team must have the team doctor and trainers on the field ; additionally , an ambulance must be present during practices . With NFL training camps beginning in late July , severe weather can affect practice and exhibition games . In 2002 , a Cleveland Browns exhibition game ended due to lightning near Cleveland Browns Stadium , and severe storms have been known to disrupt training camps . Fans are often able to visit their favorite team ' s training camp to catch an early look at the players ; admission to practices is often free or substantially less expensive than a game ticket , making training camp trips a popular option for fans who cannot attend many games due to financial or other reasons . NFL teams often sell souvenirs and concessions at camp sites along with offering activities and events to make training camp a more fan - friendly experience . Organized team activities . Recently the NFL has let teams have off - season training sessions , officially called Organized Team Activities ( OTA ' s ) . Many teams use the OTA ' s to help develop players and make them better . These training sessions are in late April , early May . The OTA ' s are the only practices between the end of the previous season and the start of training camp . Players new to the NFL attend seminars and lectures organized by the NFL from mid - June to mid - July . For veteran players , they use the off - time to sponsor football camps for children , golf outings for charity , or even some family time . Training camp sites by team . < nowiki > * < / nowiki > The Dallas Cowboys rotate their training camp between the Oxnard location in even - numbered years and the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas in odd - numbered years . Differences with baseball . Unlike Major League Baseball spring training , where teams congregate at locations in two states , NFL teams train all over the United States . An increasing number of teams do so in the same facilities at which they practice all year long - 16 teams in 2008 . Most of these teams departed distant locations to " come home " for training camp . For example , the Lions ' camp was long held at Saginaw Valley State College , the Broncos trained at the University of Northern Colorado , the Patriots at Bryant University in Smithfield , Rhode Island , and the Redskins moved in from Dickinson College , the former site of Carlisle Indian School . However , it is still fairly common for teams to use somewhat distant locations at the fringes of their markets to promote their team . For instance , the Buffalo Bills moved their training camp from SUNY Fredonia in Fredonia , New York to Saint John Fisher College in suburban Rochester to better capitalize on the Rochester market . Similarly , the New York Jets moved their training camp from Long Island to SUNY Cortland in Cortland , New York . The other New York team , the New York Giants , have held their training camp in Albany for many years . The Arizona Cardinals have trained at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff since the team relocated from St . Louis in 1988 . The Dallas Cowboys have historically hosted their training camp in locales very distant from their home market , even before they adopted the moniker " America ' s Team " in the late 1970s . Another difference between spring training and training camp is that true intra - squad games do not take place ( anymore ) , though informal scrimmages are very common . Split - squad games never happen in the NFL . It is also fairly common to see two teams hold a short joint camp and scrimmage at a neutral site in addition to their main camp .