The Green Bay Packers today announced the schedule for 2012 Packers Training Camp, Presented by Bellin Health, featuring six night practices and 20 practices overall at Ray Nitschke Field in addition to Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field.
With a theme of “Back to Football,” training camp kicks off with an 8:15 a.m. practice on Thursday, July 26. After the opening session, morning practices beginning at 8:15 a.m. are also scheduled for July 27, 28, 30, 31 and Aug. 1.
The Packers will hold their first night practice of training camp on Aug. 2 at 7 p.m., and will also have 7 p.m. sessions on Aug. 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13. The team has incorporated night practices into its training camp since Mike McCarthy took over as head coach in 2006.
The Packers will conduct a total of 10 practices at Nitschke Field prior to the preseason opener at San Diego on Aug. 9. Three of the four practices leading into the home preseason opener vs. Cleveland on Aug. 16 will be held at 7 p.m.
Following the preseason contest against the Browns, the Packers will shift into more of a regular-season schedule with 11:15 a.m. practices on Aug. 19-20 and an 11 a.m. practice on Aug. 21 heading into the preseason contest at Cincinnati on Aug. 23.
The Packers will wrap up training camp with 11:15 a.m. sessions on Aug. 26-27 and an 11 a.m. practice on Aug. 28 in preparation for the preseason finale vs. Kansas City on Aug. 30.
Should inclement weather or any other factor force the team indoors, practices will be closed to the public due to space limitations inside the Don Hutson Center. Please also note that all practice dates, times and dress are subject to change.
The annual Packers Family Night is scheduled for Friday evening, Aug. 3, at Lambeau Field. The event will benefit the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program with evening activities getting underway in the stadium at 5:30 p.m., followed by on-field football drills at 6:30 p.m. and the scrimmage at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The team’s two home preseason games are slated for Aug. 16, vs. Cleveland, and Aug. 30, vs. Kansas City. The Packers’ two road preseason contests are at San Diego, Aug. 9, and at Cincinnati, Aug. 23.
Important dates on the preseason calendar include:
- Wednesday, July 25 – Players report
- Wednesday, July 25 – Mike McCarthy’s season-opening press conference, 10 a.m.
- Thursday, July 26 – First practice, 8:15 a.m., Ray Nitschke Field
- Friday, Aug. 3 – Family Night, Lambeau Field
- Tuesday, Aug. 28 – Last practice open to public, 11 a.m., Ray Nitschke Field
According to the Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau and a 2010 study by AECOM, training camp, along with Packers Family Night will attract nearly 100,000 visitors from across the nation and as many as 20 foreign countries. With an economic total impact estimated at approximately $10 million, training camp is a financial boost to many area businesses.
This marks Green Bay's 67th training camp, a tradition that began in 1946 under Curly Lambeau. One of the most intimate preseason settings in the NFL, Packers training camp is unique in several respects. Players have been riding kids' bicycles to practice since the Vince Lombardi era, and the team has lived in the dorm rooms at nearby St. Norbert College since 1958, the league's longest training-camp relationship between a team and school.
For the most up-to-date information on the many activities throughout training camp, fans are encouraged to visit www.packers.com.
