Rams Sign Deal to Move to Thousand Oaks

It’s official. The L.A. Rams are moving to Thousand Oaks, at least temporarily. The NFL franchise has signed a deal with California Lutheran University, allowing the team to use the college’s Thousand Oaks campus as its in-season training facility until its Inglewood stadium is completed. As part of the agreement, the Rams will add two practice fields; temporary modular buildings for offices, training areas and locker rooms; as well as a paved parking lot, which will all be located on the northwest corner of campus. The former St. Louis team will be able to use the facilities for the next two to five years until it transitions into its permanent Inglewood home. It was reported earlier that the Rams were negotiating with the university. It was announced Wednesday that the deal had been signed. Construction on the site has already been approved by the city of Thousand Oaks as part of Cal Lu’s master plan. As for the temporary buildings, the Rams have filed a proposal with the city for permission to install the buildings, and approval of the project is pending. About 130 athletes, coaches, trainers and Rams employees will move to the Conejo Valley location after training camp, which will be held at UC Irvine, where the team will be filmed for the HBO series “Hard Knocks.” The show will document the franchise’s training camp experience and is the series’ first time featuring a relocated team. In-season practices at Cal Lu will be held from September through January, while off-season preparation will take place from March through July of next year. “We are excited to partner with Cal Lutheran to use their exceptional campus as the temporary home for team facilities that will be outstanding for our players and football staff,” L.A. Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff said in a statement. “The Rams look forward to becoming an integral part of the Cal Lutheran and Thousand Oaks communities as we establish our roots in Southern California.” As part of this effort, internship opportunities will be available to Cal Lu students while team operations are located on campus. In addition, the NFL franchise is currently in negotiations with Woodland Hills commercial realtor Realty Bancorp Equities to rent a 50,000-square-foot office at 29899 Agoura Road, which will serve as the team’s temporary office headquarters if leased.