The Green Bay Packers have announced the schedule for 2018 Packers Training Camp. As in the past, practices are scheduled to take place at Ray Nitschke Field and Packers Family Night will be at Lambeau Field.
With a theme of “Back to Football,” training camp kicks off with an 11:30 a.m. practice on Thursday, July 26. Green Bay finishes the opening week with an 11:30 a.m. practice on Friday, July 27 and an 11:15 a.m. practice on Saturday, July 28.
The Packers will hold four practices (July 30-31 and August 2-3), all beginning at 11:15 a.m., before Family Night takes place at Lambeau Field on Saturday, Aug. 4. The following week, the team will have two open practices at Nitschke Field, 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 6 and 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 7, prior to the preseason opener at home against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 9.
Following the preseason contest against the Titans, Green Bay will hold two open practices (12:15 p.m. on Aug. 12 and 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 13), before hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 16. The Packers will have two open practices, 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 20 and 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 21, leading into a preseason road game in Oakland versus the Raiders on Aug. 24.
The team’s final open practice of training camp will take place at 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 27 prior to the preseason finale against the Chiefs in 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. All practice dates and times are subject to change.
The annual Packers Family Night is scheduled for Saturday evening, Aug. 4, at Lambeau Field. The event will benefit the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids foster-care adoption program. The format will be a full practice to accomplish the team’s preparation goals for the regular season. The event will include 11-on-11 sessions that will feature full contact. The doors for the event will open at 5:30 p.m., the team will be introduced on the field at 7:30 p.m. and will conclude with a fireworks show.
Green Bay’s two home preseason games are slated for Aug. 9 vs. Tennessee and Aug. 16 vs. Pittsburgh. The Packers’ two road preseason contests are at Oakland Aug. 24 and at Kansas City Aug. 30.
Important dates on the preseason calendar include:
· Friday, July 20 – Packers 1K Kids Run, presented by Edvest, 6 p.m.
· Saturday, July 21 – Packers 5K Run/Walk, presented by Bellin Health, Lambeau Field, 8 a.m.
· Saturday, July 21 – Packers Hall of Fame Induction Banquet
· Wednesday, July 25 – Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s season-opening press conference, 10 a.m.
· Wednesday, July 25 – Players report
· Wednesday, July 25 – Packers Annual Meeting of Shareholders, 7 p.m.
· Thursday, July 26 – First practice, 11:30 a.m., Ray Nitschke Field
· Thursday, July 26 – Sunday, July 29 – Packers Experience, four-day free festival celebrating 100 Seasons, presented by American Family Insurance, Bellin Health, Mills Fleet Farm and Old El Paso.
· Saturday, Aug. 4 – Family Night, presented by Bellin Health, Lambeau Field
· Monday, Aug. 27 – Last practice open to public, 11:45 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 about 90,000 visitors from across the nation and as many as 20 foreign countries with an economic total impact estimated at approximately $9 million. As the beginning of this year’s training camp includes the free, four-day fan festival, Packers Experience, as part of the 100 Seasons celebration, the area may attract an even greater amount of visitors and an enhanced financial boost to many local businesses.
This marks Green Bay's 73rd training camp, a tradition that began in 1946 under Curly Lambeau. Players have been riding kids' bicycles to practice since the Vince Lombardi era, a tradition that now includes five special bikes. 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.
