The AdvoCare Sports Performance Center at the White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., resort will welcome the NFL team for a three-week training camp. The facility, which was built in 90 days, includes meeting rooms, weight rooms, offices, training rooms, kitchen and dining facilities and more.
The new, nearly $30 million AdvoCare Sports Performance Center at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., is ready for the New Orleans Saints, the Bluefield (W. Va.) Daily Telegraph reported.
The goal posts are up. The lines are on the field. The closets are stocked and the pads and helmets are hanging in the lockers, the Telegraph reported.
The NFL team will arrive at the Greenbrier Valley Airport Wednesday around 4 p.m., board the buses, take a tour through Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs and arrive at The Greenbrier for a three-week stay and 15 days of intense summer practices, the Telegraph reported.
“(Saints coach Sean Payton) told me that Bill Parcells always said the first month back with your team is overwhelmingly the most important month of the season,” said Greenbrier owner Jim Justice.
“So they’re going to be dialed in and working hard. We’re going to have the opportunity to see that. I think we’re in for something really special—maybe even bigger than the golf tournament.”
The facility, which includes meeting rooms, weight rooms, offices, training rooms, kitchen and dining facilities and more, was built over the course of 90 days, after the Saints’ association with The Greenbrier was announced in March, the Telegraph reported.
Ground was moved for two grass fields and one artificial surface field, and the facility, which is adorned with Greenbrier colors and incorporates much of the resort’s style, quickly took shape. It was unveiled to the media for the first time Monday, the Telegraph reported.
“I hope you’re a tenth as impressed as I am about what’s happened here,” said Justice, addressing the media after the tour. “It took a lot of work to make this a reality, and it’s unbelievable. It’s a beautiful facility, and we’re out of our minds excited to have the Saints in West Virginia.”
Justice said the positive impact that the Saints will have on the state in terms of economic stimulation and positive exposure is off the charts, and he’s hopeful the Saints will soon become West Virginia’s team. The Saints plan on doing their part to connect with the community, the Telegraph reported.
When they arrive Wednesday, Justice and the Saints staff are encouraging football fans to line the streets in Lewisburg and White Sulphur to welcome the team to the Mountain State as they travel through town. On Saturday, The Greenbrier and the Saints will hold a grand opening picnic, giving fans a unique opportunity to connect with the professional athletes, the Telegraph reported.
The grand opening will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the front entrance to the facility with remarks from officials from AdvoCare and The Greenbrier, and other political leaders. Practice will begin at 4:30 p.m. and run for an hour. During that time, the AdvoCare Sports Performance Center will be open for touring, the Telegraph reported.
A picnic with players and coaches will begin at 6 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. with autograph and photograph opportunities. For a cost of $10, fans can dine on hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, potato salad and chocolate chip cookies along with the entire team. There will also be live entertainment, the Telegraph reported.
“They’ve been very kind to say that they want to meet the community,” said Justice. “They will intermingle with us. It’s just going to add some more excitement, and it will be great.
“Coach Payton keeps saying over and over, ‘You will really be impressed with our players.’ We’re all in with the Saints. It’s my dream that they’ll be coming to The Greenbrier every summer long after I’m done running The Greenbrier.”
Each of the 27 practices, including a full scrimmage on August 2, at the facility will also be open to the public free of charge, beginning Friday. Approximately 1,500 bleacher seats will be available for fans, along with plenty of standing room. Fans can take pictures, and players will sign autographs on a limited basis at the end of each practice, the Telegraph reported.
There will be no public parking at the facility, but fans can park for free at the State Fair of West Virginia and board a shuttle to the facility. The normal practice schedule will include a morning session from 8:50 a.m. until 11:40 a.m. and then an evening walk-through from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m., the Telegraph reported.
The Saints will head to St. Louis for a preseason game with the Rams on Aug. 8 and will depart West Virginia for New Orleans on August 14, the Telegraph reported.
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