No ticket required: Cowboys opening up training camp at Ford Center
The Dallas Cowboys didn’t have a full house at their first training camp practice at the Ford Center. But they filled up more than half the building.
The Cowboys announced a crowd of 6,052 on Monday. They had been expecting a sold-out crowd for the Cowboys’ first training camp practice in North Texas.
The Cowboys announced Monday that a ticket would not be required to attend the five additional training camp practices. Tickets will still be honored and fans with them are guaranteed admission, but a ticket is not required for entry. Admission and parking is free.
“This event provides fans the opportunity to see current Dallas Cowboys players and coaches in action as they prepare for the 2017 season,” a news release stated.
Even though attendance was smaller than expected, Monday was the third-best attended training camp practice this season. The Cowboys drew 7,671 fans on July 30 and 7,407 fans on July 29 in Oxnard, California, their only weekend dates this year.
“Anytime you’re around fans, that just makes the energy that much better,” tight end Jason Witten said.
The Cowboys will hold three more practices open for the fans this week – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – and two the following week on Monday and Tuesday.
This is the first time the Cowboys have held training camp in the DFW area. They had an annual “Blue and Silver Debut” practice at AT&T Stadium in previous years, but those weren’t padded practices.
Owner Jerry Jones addressed the crowd before the practice got underway.
“This is a dream come true,” Jones said. “So, so many times we thought over the last several months and years, if you will, what it would be like to have the Dallas Cowboys, to have a Dak Prescott, to have a Zack Martin, to have Dez Bryant, to have them in this wonderful facility [practicing in front of fans].”
This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 6:22 PM with the headline "No ticket required: Cowboys opening up training camp at Ford Center."