The New Orleans Saints are turning their 60th training camp into a choose-your-own-adventure for Who Dat Nation.
The team will report to the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie on July 29, setting up a 2026 camp that carries the weight of the franchise’s 60th season. For fans, the draw is simple: nine local chances to see the Saints up close, with free tickets that are limited by capacity and a schedule built around different kinds of football experiences.
The opening stretch on July 30 and July 31 will feature helmets and shells, giving fans a first look at the team without the full-contact grind. That’s the window for watching crisp work from Chris Olave and rookie first-rounder Jordyn Tyson as they catch passes from Tyler Shough.
On August 2, the Saints will take part in Back Together Weekend, the NFL’s league-wide celebration. The day is set up as a more festive, energized visit to the facility, with extra entertainment and interactive elements around the practice.
The physicality ramps up from there. August 3 and August 5 bring heavier shells and then full pads, with Wednesday marking the first true padded session. For fans who want to see the run game and the trenches at work, those mid-week mornings should deliver the most honest football of the summer.
The weekend of August 8 and August 9 will also be in full pads, giving fans who can’t make weekday practices another shot at the more intense side of camp. Those sessions are expected to include heavy 11-on-11 situational scrimmages.
The final open practice in Metairie comes on August 13, when the Jacksonville Jaguars come in for a joint practice. Those sessions often carry more edge than preseason games, and this one should give a clear look at how the Saints’ secondary handles a different opponent.
The Saints will also take camp to Tulane for an evening showcase on August 26 at Yulman Stadium. The under-the-lights setting is a nod to the franchise’s origins and brings a different feel entirely - cooler, louder, and more like a Friday night high school game on steroids.
This year’s camp is also built to reward the fans who show up. The Saints are adding a first-of-its-kind live audio broadcast feature inside the team’s mobile app for on-site attendees, with real-time commentary and live interviews with players as they come off the field. Every fan entering the gates will also receive a commemorative 60th-season poster.
And as always, when the weather and practice schedule allow, the autograph sessions along the fence line remain one of the best parts of camp, giving kids and adults a chance to meet players face-to-face.
Training camp is the rare time when the distance between the team and its fans nearly disappears. This summer, the Saints are giving Who Dat Nation plenty of ways to pick the day that fits their football fix.
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