Saints to move part of training camp to West Virginia

Mar 13, 2014 - 6:16 PM Metairie, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - The New Orleans Saints announced Thursday that the team will split their training camp in 2014 between the team's practice facility in New Orleans and The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV.

The Saints did a similar type of thing in 2009 when they held a portion of camp in Oxnard, CA. The club has held training camp in Metairie since 2009.

"We feel like this decision will allow our team to best prepare for our 2014 season by practicing at our facility and also taking advantage of a more moderate climate and setting in West Virginia, similar to what we did in 2009 when we went to southern California for a week," said Saints general manager Mickey Loomis in a statement. "I have always been a proponent of mixing up training camp every few years which I believe is a good strategy as we prepare for the season. With this plan, we get the best of both and that is important. We get quality practices in both locations and we get the benefits of having our fans support us during our time at home in Metairie and we get the opportunity for our team to unite at a location away from home."

The Greenbrier is a National Historic landmark that has hosted distinguished guests from around the world since 1778 including 26 U.S. presidents. Known as "America's Resort," The Greenbrier encompasses more than 10,000 acres of rolling landscape that includes: four golf courses; a championship indoor and outdoor tennis facility; a 40,000-square-foot spa rated by Conde Nast as one of the top 25 in the world; a breadth of sporting activities; shops; private homes at The Greenbrier Sporting Club; and, at its heart, a vast and imposing grand hotel purchased in 2009 by West Virginia entrepreneur Jim Justice II.