Rams’ return begins with training camp at UCI
At UC Irvine, football fans proudly and jokingly claim that the Anteaters have been undefeated for 50 years.
In 1965, UCI’s founding class voted no to having a football team. But this summer, there will be a team on campus.
The Los Angeles Rams, freshly returned from a two-decade stay in St. Louis, will prepare for the 2016 National Football League season with a month-long training camp at UCI. Rookies are scheduled to report Tuesday, with the rest of the team arriving Friday.
The Rams will hold a series of practices open to the public, the first of which is set for 3:30 p.m. July 30.
The Rams likely won’t go undefeated this season, yet there is plenty of excitement and optimism in Anteaterland.
“This is an exciting time for NFL fans, and we’ll do everything we can to ensure that this is a great experience for everyone involved,” UCI Athletic Director Mike Izzi said in a statement. “We welcome the Rams back, and although UCI doesn’t have a football team, we take great pride in our facilities and our athletic accomplishments.”
The Rams will spend the next three summers at UCI, with a university renewal option of up two years.
UCI was home to the Rams’ training camp from 1990 to 1992 and again in 1994 during the period when the team played its home games in Anaheim. The Rams left for St. Louis in 1995.
The Rams haven’t generated much excitement on the field recently, as they are trying to end an 11-year playoff drought with a core of young stars led by second-year running back Todd Gurley and rookie quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
The youthful duo and the rest of the Rams will train at Crawford Field and the Santora Elite Training Center at Crawford Hall.
What’s more, the Rams will be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” a reality show that each year follows an NFL team’s preparations for the season. This year’s edition premieres Aug. 9.
Along with the TV exposure, UC Irvine stands to benefit financially from the Rams practicing and staying on campus. Though admission to the public practices is free, there’s money to be made from parking fees and concessions.
Irvine and surrounding cities including Newport Beach and Costa Mesa also could get a boost.
When Oxnard in Ventura County hosted the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp four years ago, the local economy, including businesses and hotels, gained $3.6 million, according to a study by UC Santa Barbara.
“The L.A. Rams practicing at UCI provides an opportunity to showcase Irvine to football fans,” Wendy Haase, director of tourism marketing for Destination Irvine, said in an e-mail. “While they are here cheering on the local NFL team, we know they will also be enjoying Irvine’s global cuisine, outdoor recreation and family-friendly attractions.”
Stag Bar + Kitchen in Newport Beach will host a party for Rams fans at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 2, featuring former Rams players and cheerleaders. Proceeds from all food sales, plus a special “Rams cocktail” and a Rams memorabilia raffle, will be donated to a cancer charity.
At UCI, an interactive play area for kids will be offered near the training ground. Designated players will be available for autographs on certain days.
Rams players will stay at UCI dorms, with two players sharing each apartment. But the twin beds aren’t big enough for the players, said Kim Burdette, a UCI housing director. So the Rams will bring in king-size mattresses and then put them in storage for use the following two summers.
Though the dorms have kitchens, the players will eat at a dining area on campus, likely where late Nobel Prize winner Frank Sherwood Rowland, a former UCI chemistry professor, would eat.
The Rams, however, surely will eat more than Rowland and any college student. Some of the players’ dinners will require 850 to 900 pounds of food. Breakfasts will include 70 pounds of eggs, 30 pounds of bacon and 20 pounds of sausage per day, according to Aramark.
“We look forward to training at UCI in preparation for the 2016 season,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement. “Their facilities are top-notch, and we’re excited to welcome our fans to their campus.”
After UCI, the Rams will head to their in-season training facility in Thousand Oaks in Ventura County. The regular season begins Sept. 12.
Home games will be at the Los Angeles Coliseum until the team’s new billion-dollar stadium in Inglewood is completed in 2019.
Public practices at UCI
The Rams will be practicing at UC Irvine from July 30 to Aug. 25. Sixteen practices will be open to the public, starting July 30. Gates will open 90 minutes before each free practice, and select players will sign autographs afterward.
For the full schedule and more information, visit therams.com/ramscamp.
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