The Beavers will start practicing for the 2016 season in Bend, OR.
The Oregon State football team will begin their first practices of the 2016 season in unfamiliar territory. Because of the on-going construction in the North end zone of Reser Stadium, as well as the many renovations that include the locker room, equipment room and sports medicine facility, The Beavers will be holding their first week of fall camp in Bend, Oregon at Summit high school. The $42 million project is expected to be ready for Oregon State’s home opener on September 17th vs. Idaho State.
Oregon State has never held a full week of practices outside of Corvallis before but, Beaver fans in Central Oregon should be excited to hear that one of Oregon State’s practices will be open to the public. The open practice will be held Saturday, August 6th starting at 10:15 am. Although, the practice will not include pads or tackling, per NCAA rules, it should be an exciting event for fans to get an early look at the team.
Moving the start of fall camp 3 hours and 130 miles away from Corvallis is no small undertaking. The football team will take all players (around 105 total), all of the staff and much of their equipment. School officials are expecting to take at least 5 buses on the journey.
Starting practices in Bend will give the team a unique opportunity to develop on the field and bond before the season begins. It will provide an old-school camp feel, that will hopefully unify the players. The Beavers will head back after their last practice on August 10th and resume normal practice schedules in Corvallis.