Rams finalize agreement with Cal Lutheran for temporary training site

The Rams and Cal Lutheran University have finalized an agreement for the team to use the Thousand Oaks campus as a temporary training base, the school announced Wednesday.

The NFL team will use the facility for at least two years while a permanent facility is being built elsewhere. The Thousand Oaks region is among the sites the Rams are expected to explore for the location of a permanent facility.

At Cal Lutheran, the Rams will pay for the installation of two practice fields, a paved parking lot and temporary modular buildings containing offices, training areas and locker rooms on the northwest corner of the campus, a university news release said.

Beginning next month, the Rams will conduct off-season workouts in Oxnard, where the Dallas Cowboys have held training camp. The Rams are finalizing an agreement with UC Irvine to hold training camp at the Orange County campus in July and August. Afterward, they will move to Cal Lutheran.

The Rams will have access to Cal Lutheran for off-season activities from March through July starting in 2017, the release said.

“We are excited to partner with Cal Lutheran to use their exceptional campus as the temporary home for team facilities that will be outstanding for our players and football staff,” Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ chief operating officer, said in a statement. “The Rams look forward to becoming an integral part of the Cal Lutheran and Thousand Oaks communities as we establish our roots in Southern California.”

Cal Lutheran President Chris Kimball said in a statement that the university was “thrilled” to be a part of the Rams’ return to Southern California.

“The Rams are investing in a major remaining part of our plans for the north campus and providing internships in a variety of fields to our students,” he said. “It will be a great partnership.”