No more summer commutes for Eagles players to Bethlehem.

Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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The team announced Friday that this year's training camp will take place in its NovaCare Complex and Lincoln Financial Field after 17 years on the campus of Lehigh University.

Team president Don Smolenski says the decision was made, in part, because of the ready access to its equipment and facilities at its home base, including the training room and indoor practice venue, too.

He noted the Eagles become the 21st team to move training camp to their own facilities. The Jets have held camp in their own facility in Florham Park since 2009 while the Giants will also move their training camp back to their facility in East Rutherford after years at the University of Albany.

He called it a difficult choice, noting the school and the city have "been part of our lives every summer for the past 17 years."

“Lehigh University has enjoyed hosting the Eagles' Training Camp for the past 17 seasons on our campus and on our athletic fields,” said Lehigh's Dean of Athletics.Joe Sterrett,  “We realize the Eagles are embarking upon a new era for their team and we wish Coach Kelly and the team all the best in the upcoming season.”

In a press release, the team said the new training camp site will offer the public more chances to see the team practice public practices at Lincoln Financial Field along with private practices (invitation only) at the NovaCare Complex. The full training camp schedule will be released later this spring.

The return marks the first time since 1943 that the team's training camp has been in Philadelphia.

Last year, former coach Andy Reid's son, Garrett, was found dead at training camp.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

 

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