ALBANY – The University at Albany is no longer the summer home to the New York Giants.

After 16 years of holding their training camp on the UAlbany campus, the Giants announced on Friday that they would not return in 2013.

Instead, the team, coming off a 9-7 season, will hold training camp this summer at the Timex Performance Center, their year-round facility.

“The University at Albany and the Capital Region have been great hosts for us during our training camps,” Giants President and Chief Executive Officer John Mara and Chairman and Executive Vice President Steve Tisch said in a join statement. “UAlbany truly has been the summer home of the Giants. We are grateful to Mayor (Jerry) Jennings and to (UAlbany Director of Athletics) Dr. (Lee) McElroy and his staff in the athletic department for making us feel welcome and providing the resources we needed to prepare for the season.”

The Giants, who did not rule out a return to the Capital District, have been practicing at UAlbany since 1996, only missing one year, 2011, due to the lockout.

“We're proud to have hosted the New York Giants summer camp for 16 seasons,” said the University in a statement. “The relationship has provided us with yet another avenue to promote our great university and what we feel is a first-class athletic program and group of student-athletes. We will miss the excitement and engagement the team brings to our campus, and we extend our best wishes to the Giants for next season.”

The Giants informed McElroy and Jennings this week of their intention to not return for training camp this summer.

“We have enjoyed serving as the summer home of the New York Giants,” said McElroy. “We certainly understand the Giants' desire to remain at the Timex Performance center, which is a state-of-the-art training facility. We have assured Mr. Mara and Mr. Tisch that if they ever decide to take their training camp away from East Rutherford again that we would be interested in once again serving as their home away from home.”

Over the past few years, coach Tom Coughlin has been upset with the lack of an inside facility on the campus. With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams can only practice once a day and those practices are allowed to be rescheduled.

“We are fortunate to have a facility in the Timex Performance Center that allows us to hold training camp here,” Tisch and Mara said in their statement. “We have told Mayor Jennings and Dr. McElroy that we will evaluate our training camp situation on an ongoing basis and certainly would not rule out a return to Albany in the future if it makes sense for both parties.”

The 16 training camps at UAlbany are the most at any site in the 88-year history of the team.

“It has been a tremendous experience for our city to have the Giants here,” said Mayor Jennings. “We value our relationship with John Mara and Steve Tisch and their organization, and I have told them they are always welcome. This is Giants country and we wish them nothing but the best.”

The dates for the Giants' 2013 training camp will be announced later this spring when the preseason schedule is finalized.

ALBANY - The first day of Giants training camp is in the books, here at the University at Albany.

Here's coach Tom Coughlin talking about getting the first practice in because of the threat of bad weather.



Below is cornerback Terrell Thomas talking early in the day about feeling good, following surgery to repair a torn ACL, which kept him out last season.

Thomas actually tweaked his back midway through practice, but it doesn't seen to be anything major.

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ALBANY - Below Victor Cruz talks about arriving at the University at Albany for the beginning of New York Giants training camp.



Below quarterback Eli Manning talks about the team playing more consistent throughout the season.

The New York Giants arrived in Albany on Thursday, for their 16th training camp in the Capital District.

Below Eli Manning unpacks, as the media gathers.

J.S. Carras/The Record

Training camp officially begins on Friday, with practice at 1:30 p.m.

Below linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka talks to the media gathered outside where the players will live for the next few weeks. 

J.S. Carras/The Record

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin spent part of Wednesday afternoon talking to the University at Albany football team.

The Giants are finishing their 2009 Training Camp at UAlbany, while the Great Danes are in the second week of workouts for their 2009 season.

Coughlin tried to impart some of his wisdom on UAlbany as they go for their third consecutive Northeast Conference crown.

Here's some of what Coughlin had to say.

"The number one thing is the mission...the mission. If every guy is on the same page, if every guy believes in what we're doing and if every guy hangs in there together and fights their way through the tough times...and you're going to have them...you can accomplish that and be very proud of the group that you have."

I am hoping that we will have a new feature coming to the blog as the UAlbany football season begins.

Remember, the Great Danes begin the season at Georgia Southern in only 17 days.

I will be heading to Georgia in three days, but it is for purely non-work activities before the Fall season heats up.

Also, look for a feature on senior running back David McCarty in Thursday's print edition of The Record.

Continue coming to this blog for all news regarding UAlbany football and the upcoming 2009 season.