The Steelers submitted a plan to the NFL to hold training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. It was denied.
That means for the second year in a row, the Steelers will be forced to hold their training camp at Heinz Field and the UMPC-Rooney Sports Complex.
"We are disappointed we won't be holding our 2021 Training Camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa," said Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten in a statement released on Thursday morning. "We were prepared to safely host Training Camp on campus with fans, but unfortunately our plan was not approved due to the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.
"We will now have training camp, which is slated to begin in late July, split between Heinz Field and the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Once our practice schedule is finalized, we will announce plans to host fans at Heinz Field for a select number of practices."We appreciate the support of Saint Vincent College and the Latrobe community, and we look forward to returning to campus in 2022."
The issue was not necessarily with the NFL or Steelers, but according to several sources, the state was involved and wasn't happy with some of the protocols put in place to hold camp at Saint Vincent College.
The league has already given approval to a number of other teams to hold camps away from team facilities after denying them that experience last season.
One of the biggest issues for the Steelers was locker room space, but the NFLPA also was insisting players be given their own rooms, meaning the Steelers would have been forced to use two dormitories to house their 90 players for camp.
The Steelers were forced to hold training camp at Heinz Field in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But they had hoped to return to Saint Vincent College, where they have held camp since 1967.
The Steelers are expected to report to training camp around July 23 to begin preparations for the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, Aug. 5.
