The Cleveland Browns still might hold training camp in 2015 at the team's everyday headquarters in Berea, Ohio.
In a radio interview with 92.3 The Fan Thursday afternoon, Browns president Alec Scheiner said no decision has been made on a training camp site for this summer. Last year the Browns made it known they would explore other options because of lack of room for capacity crowds at their usual practice fields, which have hosted training camp every year since the team returned to the NFL in 1999.
In exploring outside options, the team accepted bids from colleges across Ohio. Browns officials took multiple visits to the University of Akron, Ohio Dominican University in Columbus and Ashland University, about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland and near Interstate 71, last fall to scout sites and facilities, FOXSportsOhio.com has learned.
Cleveland.com reported Thursday that the Browns delaying a move could enable Columbus officials to construct a multi-use facility adjoining Columbus Crew Stadium, which is just north of Downtown Columbus.
Scheiner said the team would know more of its 2015 plans "in about a month" in his 92.3 interview.
The Browns held an intrasquad scrimmage at Akron's Infocision Stadium last August and team owner Jimmy Haslam and other officials toured the other facilities on campus. The Browns have held training camp in Berea since 1992, but last summer was the first time Browns coach Mike Pettine had been involved with an NFL team that stayed home for training camp.
After last summer's scrimmage, which wasn't held at First Energy Stadium because of ongoing renovations, Scheiner said of a potential camp move: "I'd like for us to go where our fans are, and we know we have plenty of fans in Northeast Ohio, including Akron, and then in Columbus and other places. We're open-minded to it. Really, this is kind of a byproduct of listening to our fans, and knowing that we have a lot of fans in Akron, we thought (this year's scrimmage) made a lot of sense."
Scheiner said Thursday that the Browns will still hold open practice sessions at the team's Berea headquarters if primary camp operations are moved offsite.
Bowling Green's Northwest Ohio campus was the original home of Browns training camp. The Browns also trained at Hiram, Kent State and Lakeland Community College, all in Northeast Ohio, before camp was moved to Berea.
