Shoulder pads will be popping, footballs will be flinging and fans will be packing the hillside at Saint Vincent College again this summer.

After a two-year absence because of the pandemic, the Pittsburgh Steelers will return to the Unity campus to conduct training camp this year, the team announced Wednesday.

The Steelers had conducted training camp at Saint Vincent for 54 consecutive years until the pandemic led to it being transferred to Heinz Field the past two seasons. Fans were prohibited from attending in 2020, and a limited number were permitted to attend last year.

In a statement, team president Art Rooney II said the Steelers are “very excited” to return to the college for training camp.

“We always appreciate the support from Saint Vincent as well as the Latrobe community,” Rooney said. “We look forward to having fans back on campus as we will be preparing for the 2022 season. We thank (school president) Father Paul Taylor and the tremendous staff on campus for their continued support for our return to our summer home.”

Training camp dates will be released later this spring.

The Steelers have conducted training camp outside the city limits for every summer since 1937 after training for four years at Pittsburgh’s Moore Field. The team’s association with Saint Vincent is the second-­longest in the NFL. Only the Green Bay Packers, who have trained at St. Norbert (Wis.) College for 60-plus years, have more longevity at an outside location.

“No. 1, we had to get outside of these covid protocols that we’ve had in an agreement between the league and players association that was in effect for the past two years,” Rooney told Steelers Radio Network. “Just getting beyond that as well as all the other health protocols — which I hope are not coming back at any point — we had to get all that behind us. Now we’re looking forward to going up to Saint Vincent again this summer.”

The Rooney family embraced the tradition and quaint surroundings at Saint Vincent, which is nestled in the foothills of the Laurel Highlands. Mike Tomlin, the team’s head coach since 2007, also has been a proponent of taking his team to a remote location for the first two to three weeks of training camp.

“I envision it being pretty close to what it’s always been,” Rooney said. “It’s been a great setup, mostly for our fans. They love it up there. So, we’re anxious to get up there and give our fans a chance to get up close and personal with our players and team. That’s always been the best part about it.

“Our fans just love it. It’s a great atmosphere, great for families. It’s free, of course. There’s so many aspects of it that are great for fans. The whole community in Latrobe gets behind everything. We’ll have our Friday Night Lights that we’ll work out at some point. There’s a lot of great pieces that we’re anxious to get back to.”

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)