NFL teams often hold training camps away from their regular-season venues for various reasons. Historically, the primary motivation was to avoid the distractions of being home. Another reason was that being in an unfamiliar environment promotes camaraderie and team-building. Both are valid reasons.
Like spring training for baseball players, the weather could also play a role. The Dallas Cowboys famously hold their training camp in Oxnard, California. Presumably, one of the main factors is that the weather is more pleasant in Oxnard than in Dallas during those hot summer months.
In the past, not all teams had the facilities near their stadiums to host training camps. Some teams shared their stadium with local MLB clubs, which makes holding training camps at home impossible. Nowadays, some teams try to acquire stadiums and the land around them, allowing them to practice close to home.
Training camps used to be a rite of passage for players, reminiscent of college students moving into dorms for the first time. Traveling away from home for training camp was the case for the Cincinnati Bengals for most of the team's NFL existence.
However, gone are the days when players showed up with their air conditioning unit and rented a television for a dorm room. Crossing city limits with personal hyperbaric chambers is a thing of the past. But what a wonderful time it was. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to remember every place the Bengals have held training camps over the years.
Every training camp location for the Bengals over the years
Wilmington College (1969-1996)
The first training camp site for the Bengals was at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio. The men in stripes called this place home for several weeks every summer for 27 years. After the club’s creation in 1968, founder and head coach Paul Brown took his team 52 miles northeast to focus on the season ahead.
Wilmington was far enough away from Cincinnati that the players could focus solely on football. A bonus of holding training camp there was that it slightly expanded the Bengals’ reach into central Ohio. Perhaps some fans of the hated Cleveland Browns living in central Ohio became Bengals fans during this time.
Cincinnati to Wilmington is about an hour's drive, which made it nearly impossible for fans from the city to make it to every open practice. However, most diehard fans made the pilgrimage every year to the inter-squad scrimmage. And sometimes, during the lean years, the scrimmage almost had as large of a crowd as some regular season games in late December.
The team had mixed results while training camp was in Wilmington. The highlights of those seasons include making it to two Super Bowls and having a league MVP in Boomer Esiason.
Georgetown College (1997-2011)
The Bengals took their talents to Georgetown College for training camp in 1997. The NAIA School is an hour south of Paul Brown Stadium. Aesthetically, it was a perfect fit to host the Bengals, as the Georgetown Tigers’ colors are also orange and black.
Unfortunately, the change of scenery in the late '90s didn't help the Bengals on the field under the leadership of Bruce Coslet and Dick LeBeau. However, in 2003, with the arrival of Marvin Lewis, things started to turn around for the franchise.
Fun fact: The highlight of the organization’s stint at Georgetown College was its appearance on Hard Knocks in 2009. Expectations were high that the team would be entertaining on camera and they didn't disappoint.
Some #obscurebengals Training Camp footage from Ep. 1 of Hard Knocks in 2009. Funny footage of Chad & Carson getting ID'd @ the gate in Georgetown as well as vets like obscure club members Roy Williams & Laveranues Coles in shock the @Bengals charged to rent a TV📺 at camp. pic.twitter.com/rvseBkOuAJ
— obscure bengals (@obscure_bengals) August 1, 2023
NFL fans everywhere fell in love with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and his infamous phrases like “Kiss the baby” and “Child please” during that 2009 training camp. We were also famously introduced to running back Giovanni Bernard’s girlfriend’s minivan, which he drove around.
The following year, despite Hard Knocks being out of town, there were still more cameras than usual in Georgetown, Kentucky, documenting the arrival of Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens to the team.
Even though the teams’ colors matched and the Bengals took a step up in popularity while holding training camp at Georgetown College, there's just no place like home.
Fun fact: Something else to come out of that training camp at Georgetown College was an app on the edge of revolutionizing how some people watch movies. Jordan Palmer, backup quarterback, and Carson’s little brother, invented the “Run Pee” app that tells moviegoers the best time to take a restroom break during a film.
Paul Brown Stadium (2012-present)
After the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement limited the number of off-season practices, the Bengals organization officially moved training camp to Paul Brown Stadium in 2012.
Overall, having the Bengals stay home for training camp has proved to be a wise decision. It brings business to local restaurants and hotels. Also, it showcases downtown Cincinnati when the NFL Network and Hard Knocks come to town. Moreover, the players no longer have to haul around air conditioners or pay to rent a television for their room during their downtime.
Furthermore, the results on the field have shown that the team does not need to travel out of town to build cohesion. Two AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance prove that good teams play well together no matter where they hold training camp. Getting away from home has done nothing for the Cowboys in recent history as far as their on-the-field success is concerned.