IRVING, Texas – Several weeks of rainy conditions haven't slowed the Cowboys' progress toward opening their new practice facility next summer – not too much, at least.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones talked briefly Wednesday about the team's new home – The Star, located in nearby Frisco, Texas – and said construction is still on track for summer 2015.
"We might have to make up a little time there, with some of the rain that we've had lately," Jones said. "But overall, we feel good and feel like we can still get everything ready to go in the next 14, 15 months."
Heavy rain fell in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for much of the past month, causing flooding and high water levels across the region. Despite that, the Cowboys are hopeful to move into their new, state-of-the-art facility by August of next year, and that timetable doesn't look to be affected, according to Jones.
"The finish time was always going to be right around camp time, so that was with everything going the way we expected," he said. "We've had some challenges, but I do feel like, where we are today, if we don't have a whole lot more, then we should be able to overcome that and open when we want to open."
That leaves plenty of room for speculation about how the Cowboys will approach training camp next year. The team will hold all of its training camp in Oxnard, Calif., this summer – as it has for the past several years. Jones said he's hopeful the Cowboys can have at least part of their 2015 camp at The Star next summer, though that's still uncertain.
"That's not a must. We've got contingencies there. If we're down to the midnight hour, then we'll have training camp somewhere else," he said. "But right now we think we can still get it done and do some things as far as having some part of training camp here next fall. But that remains to be seen."
A big part of that development is the Cowboys' events center and indoor practice facility, which will double as a high school football stadium for the Frisco Independent School District. Jones said he's hopeful the school district will be able to use the facility for high school football in time for the 2015 season.
"Our goal is to be in there, with high school football, is to make the stadium available," he said. "If we continue to have what we've had the last two or three weeks – which, it doesn't look like we are – that presents some challenges. But right now we feel good about it. Hopefully Frisco can count on it for next fall – having high school football there."
