What Actually Happens at Broncos Training Camp
Training camp isn't glamorous. It's hot, crowded, and the parking situation is rough. But if you're trying to figure out how to navigate it or get the most out of the experience, having a handle on the Broncos Training Camp Schedule 2023 is the first step. The Broncos ran their 2023 camp out of Dove Valley, their facility just west of Denver in Englewood, and the dates were roughly July 29th through August 19th, leading into the preseason games. The regular season kicked off on September 10th that year against the Raiders. The core of camp follows a predictable pattern every single year. Practices are split into indoor and outdoor sessions. Indoor session usually runs from around 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and the outdoor session follows later, typically from about 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. These times are approximate and shift slightly depending on the week and weather. The team holds press conferences after the indoor session, where coaches address reporters. The outdoor session is the one most fans attend because it's open to the public at no charge. Open practices at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City are where the actual game-like work happens. That's the part most people are there to see — position groups running drills, special teams reps, and the scouts and reserves who are fighting for roster spots. By late July, the starters start sitting out portions of practice. Coaches manage their minutes carefully. You'll see Bo Nix or whichever quarterback is there for only a handful of reps by the third week. The second-string guys and practice squad candidates get the bulk of the snaps as camp progresses.
How to Actually Get Into Practice
Getting tickets for the open practice is free but they disappear fast. The Broncos released them through their official website, usually a few days before each practice. I tried catching the first day of camp in 2023 and by the time I loaded the page, there were maybe fifty tickets left out of thousands. My workaround was setting a calendar reminder for when they went on sale, showing up to the site five minutes before release, and having my account info saved and ready to go. I also had a friend on a different network trying at the same time. Between us, we got two tickets. Not great odds, but it works if you treat it like a limited drop rather than a casual browse. There's no VIP package that guarantees entry. Season ticket members get early access codes sometimes, and media credentials open a separate door entirely, but for the general public it's first come, first served. Arrive early regardless. Gates usually open an hour before practice starts. If you're going with a group, split up and meet at a landmark near the stadium entrance — the ticketing system sometimes assigns different gate entries and the cell service in the area is unreliable when thousands of people are on the same network.
What to Expect Once You're There
Dick's Sporting Goods Park is a baseball stadium repurposed for football practice. The stands are close to the field but not uncomfortably close. You'll be watching from the upper bowl or the lower level depending on where your ticket lands. The sun is a factor. Most of the seating faces east to south, so afternoon practices in late July in Colorado can be brutal. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. The concessions are expensive and the lines are long. I learned to bring my own sealed water bottle — the policy changed a couple of years ago and now they allow one clear plastic bottle per person, which saved me from buying overpriced drinks three times during a single week of camp. The practice itself moves differently than a game. Drills are stop-start. Position groups rotate in and out. You might watch the wide receivers run routes for ten minutes straight, then nothing for twenty while the offensive line works in an adjacent area. If you want to see your favorite player, you need to know when their group rotates. The Broncos typically run the skill positions through multiple periods during the outdoor session. Quarterbacks get lighter reps after the first week. Running backs and receivers are more visible throughout camp because they're evaluating depth and competition.
Get the Full Details
A Problem I Ran Into and How I Fixed It
One thing that catches people off guard is that not all practices are fully open. Mid-camp, the team sometimes runs a closed session or a limited-access walkthrough where the public isn't admitted. In 2023, there was at least one practice in the middle of camp where the gates were locked and only team personnel and credentialed media were inside. I showed up with a ticket for an open practice and it turned out the schedule had been adjusted — the outdoor session was shortened and the remaining work was done indoors with no fan access. The Broncos don't always advertise this clearly on the public-facing schedule. My workaround was checking the team's official practice report that comes out each morning. Those reports list which sessions are open to the public and which are restricted. I started reading those daily and crossed them off a spreadsheet so I wouldn't waste a trip. It added about five minutes to my routine each morning and saved me from making at least two dead-end drives to Commerce City over the course of camp.
The Preseason Games That Follow
After camp wraps, the Broncos play three preseason games. In 2023, those were against the Packers in Milwaukee, the Bills in Buffalo, and the Panthers back at Empower Field at Mile High. The preseason schedule is separate from training camp and requires its own ticketing. These games are where you actually see the roster construction take shape. The starters usually play one half at most. The competition for the final roster spots — backup quarterback, third running back, edge rusher depth — plays out here in a way that open practice doesn't show because the game context forces different decisions. Preseason tickets are easier to get than open practice tickets. Demand is lower and availability is higher. If your goal is to evaluate which players are actually making the team rather than just watching drills, the preseason games offer more useful information. The open practice is fine for atmosphere and seeing young players in a controlled setting, but the game reps reveal how a player handles pressure,audibles, and the speed of live opposition.
Practical Tips That Actually Matter
Don't try to see every single practice. Most of what you'll see is repetitive. The same drill runs four or five times with slight variation. The value drops sharply after the first day or two. Pick one or two practices, maybe the first open session and one later in camp when the roster battles are sharpening, and focus on those. The rest of the time you can follow the practice reports and press conference quotes, which give you more information per minute than sitting in the stands watching a third-team quarterback run a sweep that goes three yards. Download the Broncos app before you go. The team posts injury updates, practice notes, and any schedule changes there in real time. I saw a practice get moved from outdoor to indoor because of a thunderstorm risk and the app notification came through about twenty minutes before it hit social media. Having that lead time matters because it gives you a chance to adjust plans instead of showing up to a closed facility. Parking at Dick's Sporting Goods Park fills up within the first thirty minutes of gate opening. If you're coming from the Denver metro area, budget at least an extra thirty minutes for the drive alone, plus another twenty for parking and walking to your seat. The lot adjacent to the stadium runs about fifteen dollars and the overflow lots are free but require a shuttle ride. I learned to park in the overflow and take the shuttle rather than circling the main lot, which cost me forty-five minutes and a lot of frustration on my first visit.
What the Schedule Tells You That You Might Miss
The Broncos Training Camp Schedule 2023 shows dates and times but it doesn't convey the rhythm of camp. The first week is about installation and conditioning. The offense and defense run fundamental schemes. By week two, the competition gets real and you start seeing which players are taking advantage. Week three is when the coaches begin managing workloads heavily and the open practices become less about the starters and more about who's fighting for the last few roster spots. If you only attend one practice, week two or the early part of week three gives you the best mix of meaningful reps and visible competition. The schedule also doesn't show the press conference times clearly unless you dig into the details. Media availability usually runs between the indoor and outdoor sessions, so if you want to hear what the coaches are saying about specific players or injuries, you need to be near the facility or watching the livestream during that window. The coaches' transcripts post online later but the Q&A during press conferences often includes answers that don't make it into the printed releases.
Bottom Line
Training camp is worth it if you go in with realistic expectations. It's not a spectacle. It's work. The players are working, the coaches are installing and evaluating, and the fans who show up are mostly there to see young players who might actually make the team. The schedule is straightforward. The logistics are the hard part — tickets, parking, weather, and knowing which practices are actually open. Plan around those variables and you'll get more out of it than most people who treat it like a weekend outing.
