By not taking camp to a remote location, teams can cut costs and draw more local fans to practices.
But unlike other teams that train elsewhere, the Ravens are not hours away from their home base. Their training camp in Westminster is 36 miles from M&T Bank Stadium.
Still, practicing at the team's home facility seems to be the preference of most players. Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth said "80 to 90 percent" of the team would vote to stay home.
"I'm assuming everyone loves their wives and kids," he said.
Like it or not, teams that move their players and coaches to more secluded locales for training camp have had a strong run of success recently. The four teams in last year's championship games - the Ravens, Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals - all headed to college towns for training camp.
The Ravens, who could not accommodate thousands of fans at their facility in Owings Mills, have one year left on their contract with McDaniel, where the team has held training camp since 1996. Team president Dick Cass said he expects the sides will try to extend the deal.
"Everybody hates [training camp]," linebacker Jarret Johnson said, "but it's definitely something that you've got to go through and something that's extremely necessary. It's important to build a team and get ready for the season."
Baltimore Sun reporter Edward Lee contributed to this article.
