The San Antonio Alamodome will no longer see the Dallas Cowboys for training camp next year. The five-year contract was scheduled to expire this year.

In August, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones mentioned that he would want to return next year. In an article in the Cowboys’ website, Jones said, “I feel more positive and stronger about training camp in San Antonio than I have ever felt. It works great. We’ve got it down smooth. The number one thing is our fans down there.”

Back in October, Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett expressed his satisfaction with the Alamodome by saying that “San Antonio has been great to us.” Mayor Julian Castro explained that the contract between San Antonio and the team was “mutually beneficial”. San Antonio gained a lot of financial support by having the Cowboys train at the Alamodome and by bringing a lot of loyal Cowboys fans to show their undivided support.

The team benefited by making the training at the Alamodome affordable to the team. The biggest benefit the team gained by training in the Alamo city is its fan base. About 100,000 “die-hard” fans showed up this year to watch the Cowboys train at the Alamodome.

Sources state that the team will have its training camp in Oxnard, California, in 2012. The Cowboys team finalized a three-year contract with Oxnard with a three-year option. The city of San Antonio gave the team a good offer, but in the end there was no take.

The biggest drawback without a doubt is for the citizens who supported the Cowboys. The move from San Antonio to Oxnard will definitely leave a lot of San Antonians very upset. The training camp brought a lot of San Antonio citizens out to watch their favorite Texas team train. Without the team in the Alamodome next year, the city does see long-term effects with the fans of the Cowboys.

Sources claim that the situation does not pose a threat financially to San Antonio. UTSA football and Arena football are projected to bring a lot of economic success to the city. Castro believes that the possibility of the Cowboys training at the Alamodome in the next few years is not out of the question. The reason for the move is still a big question to the city of San Antonio.

A possible answer is that training near the Los Angeles area is a better strategy for the team and the National Football League as a whole. Another answer can be in having to choose between actual grass and artificial turf. The only answer may be the team’s affordability. The answer may never be a solid one, and is something the city of San Antonio wants to figure out.

For the years to come, San Antonio will rely on other events to help suffice for the loss. The five season contract between the city and UTSA will ensure that the Alamodome is filled with San Antonians during the fall for the years to come.

The contract is set to be extended until 2015, and includes two one-year renewal options. Castro mentioned last year that it “is a fair and strong agreement between the city and UTSA. It will bring football to the Alamodome and make a great difference in enlivening downtown.” Sophomore financing major Melinda Lara said, “The Alamodome and San Antonio will be fine! Now that we have UTSA football, we shouldn’t worry about long-term financial effects to the city.”