DePauw has courted Colts previously

When news leaked Monday that Anderson University will not be the site of Indianapolis Colts training camp in 2017, DePauw University was listed as one of the main possible landing spots.

First reported by the Indianapolis Star, the story soon popped up in other outlets, including the Associated Press, that the Colts would be seeking a new summer home after the last seven seasons at Anderson.

While the hearts of local football fans may have been set aflutter at the possibility, longtime residents may feel as if they’ve been here before.

In early 1999, the last time the team left Anderson, having used the facility since coming to Indianapolis in 1984, DePauw was listed as one of the finalists for hosting camp, alongside Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Earlham College in Richmond and St. Francis College in Fort Wayne.

Rose-Hulman was ultimately chosen and Colts camp remained in Terre Haute until the team returned to Anderson in 2010.

At that time, DePauw’s limitations were listed as the distance of the football facilities from dorms and the center of campus, as well as the difficulty of crossing Jackson Street with no traffic control device in the area.

While neither the athletic facilities nor the dorms have moved in the intervening 17 years, some big upgrades to the athletic facilities could certainly work in the local university’s favor this time around.

These include the 2013 upgrades to Blackstock Stadium and the surrounding athletic fields that include the installation of field turf in the football stadium as well as the addition of nearby Reavis Stadium. Although Reavis was built for field hockey, lacrosse and soccer, the wide-open layout of the multi-purpose field could certainly also be useful for a large football practice.

Additionally, the DePauw Indoor Tennis and Track Center was completed in 2001, providing additional open space even on days when the weather precludes outdoor practice.

Of course, this is all likely putting the cart before the colt, as no official announcement has been made.

The Star report on leaving Anderson listed Colts Chief Operating Officer Pete Ward as a source, while the AP report simply cited an anonymous source.

Additionally, a DePauw spokesman told the Banner Graphic on Monday afternoon that it was too early to comment on anything regarding the Colts.

Other possible camp locations have been listed as Grand Park in Westfield and team’s Indianapolis training facility on the city’s northwest side.

A possible move to DePauw would put training camp about 50 miles from the team headquarters, approximately the same distance to Anderson. However, it would be closer than the 70-plus miles the team traveled to Rose-Hulman for 11 seasons.

The Colts traditionally begin training camp in late July and announce a training camp schedule in June.