The 2014 Steelers training camp schedule has been announced today. Camp is scheduled to begin on Friday, July 25th with team meetings and the annual conditioning test. The first practice open to the public is Saturday, July 26th. The 26th and 27th are open to the public, and are mandatory ‘helmets and shorts’ practices per the CBA.

Here is the complete schedule:

[table]

Date, Time, Open To The Public?
“Friday, July 25”, “All players report by 4 p.m.”, No
“Saturday, July 26”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Sunday, July 27”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Monday, July 28”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Tuesday, July 29”, “Players Day Off/No Practice”, No
“Wednesday, July 30”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Thursday, July 31”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Friday, August 1”, “7 p.m. Night Practice at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium”, Yes
“Saturday, August 2”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Sunday, August 3”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Monday, August 4”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Tuesday, August 5”, “Players Day Off/No Practice”, No
“Wednesday, August 6”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Thursday, August 7”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Friday, August 8”, “No Steelers Practice”, No
“Saturday, August 9”, “First Preseason Game at N.Y. Giants (7:30 p.m. KDKA-TV)”, NA
“Sunday, August 10”, “Players Day Off/No Practice”, No
“Monday, August 11”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Tuesday, August 12”, “2:55 p.m.”, Yes
“Wednesday, August 13”, “2:55 p.m. joint practice with Buffalo Bills”, Yes
“Thursday, August 14”, “5:30 p.m. evening practice at Saint Vincent College with Buffalo Bills”, Yes
“Friday, August 15”, “No Steelers Practice”, No
“Saturday, August 16”, “Camp Breaks – Second Preseason Game vs. Buffalo Bills (7:30 p.m. KDKA-TV)”, NA
“Thursday, August 21”, “Third Preseason Game at Philadelphia Eagles (7:30 p.m. KDKA-TV)”, NA
“Thursday, August 28”, “Fourth Preseason Game vs. Carolina Panthers (7:30 p.m. KDKA-TV)”, NA

[/table]

The NFL is not going to be holding the draft at Radio City Music Hall next year. According to ProFootballTalk, the venue that has become synonymous with the NFL draft has no availability next April or May. So, the league is exploring other venues in NYC, and is also considering holding the event in other cities.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pittsburgh is one of the cities in the mix to host the draft in 2015.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/474937072793309184

With other larger markets in play, Pittsburgh may seem like somewhat of a long shot to play host next year. While that may be the case, the city has the venues to easily pull it off.

Radio City Music Hall has a seating capacity of 6,000. Consol Energy Center holds approximately 18,000. The Petersen Events Center can hold over 12,000, and the Convention Center has more than adequate space for the event. While not a very likely option, the event could also be held outdoors at Heinz Field.

The draft has actually been held in Pittsburgh twice already. Once in 1947 at the Fort Pitt Hotel which was demolished in 1967, and then again in 1948 at Hotel Schenley (which would later become the William Pitt Union).

Team President Art Rooney II made his opinion known last year regarding the draft coming to Pittsburgh. “Sure, I’d like to see the draft move around (to other cities), and I would love to see it come to Pittsburgh some time,” Art II said last June. “It’s a great event and attracts tremendous fan interest. It would be a fun event for Pittsburgh to host, and I think our city could do a great job with it.”

With draft interest rising every year, and viewership at an all time high, the NFL will be in a seller’s market when courting potential hosts. The first round of the 2014 draft saw a 28% increase in viewers from the previous year. The NFL Network and ESPN had a combined 32 million viewers according to Nielsen. With that number projected to go up in the future, there will be no shortage of cities vying to play host. We’ll have to wait until the end of this month to find out where next year’s draft will be held.