Chances to see Seahawks workouts limited this year

Contrary to Thomas Wolfe, you can go home again. And that's exactly what the Seahawks are doing this summer for training camp.

After spending the past 10 years in Cheney at Eastern Washington University, the Seahawks will open camp on July 29 at team headquarters and the adjacent Northwest University in Kirkland. That means a number of things for fans.

Practices will not be open to the public as they were in Cheney, because there just isn't the space or infrastructure in the neighborhood around the college and facility to allow fans to park nor view practice.

The situation is only temporary, though. Next summer, fans again will be allowed to watch practice at the sprawling Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, the future home of the Seahawks under construction and set for a summer 2008 opening.

"The vision for that is to be able to have parking, busing and bleachers for fans so they can come to practice," said John Rizzardini, the Seahawks' chief operating officer. The team will develop a transportation plan to get fans to the VMAC, since there won't be enough on-site parking spaces for the public.

Fans won't be completely shut out of seeing the Seahawks work out this year, however. The annual intrasquad scrimmage will be at Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center on Aug. 4, with players available to sign autographs after the event. The scrimmage, like the ones the Seahawks have held at Qwest Field and EWU in recent years, will also feature interactive activities.

Tickets for the scrimmage go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, with proceeds going to TEAM Seattle Athletics, which supports athletic programs for Seattle public middle and high schools. Memorial Stadium holds about 12,000 fans.

On Aug. 8, the Seahawks will practice at Husky Stadium, beginning at 8:45 a.m. There is no charge to attend, and fans will have access to players for autographs.

FSN Northwest is working on a nightly TV program that will air highlights and developments from camp.

From the Seahawks' perspective, the hope is that camp in Kirkland will run much the way it did in Cheney. Players will stay in Northwest University dormitories and eat on campus as they did at EWU. Space in the locker room will be at a premium for about 90 players.

Camp opens on July 29, with two practices on most days. Camp breaks Aug. 23.