Dolphins moving training facilities to Miami Gardens

The Miami Dolphins are moving their home, but going home at the same time. Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel announced on Tuesday that the Dolphins will be moving the team’s training facilities from their current Davie, Florida home to a site adjacent to Hard Rock Stadium, the team’s home stadium, in Miami Gardens. The move is expected to come as early as 2020.

The Dolphins will pay for the new facilities, expected to cost around $80 million, privately. The team also paid for the renovations to Hard Rock Stadium over the past few years at a price tag of around $550 million. Miami Dade County agreed to provide the team a bonus if the stadium hosts major sporting events to include Super Bowls, international soccer, and college championships. The site is also the new home of the Miami Open tennis tournament.

The Dolphins moved to the current training facilities in Davie, on the campus of Nova Southeastern University, in 1993. They have expanded it over the years, including the addition of the “bubble” indoor practice field, but have run out of space at the site. Moving to Miami Gardens would allow the team to consolidate all employees in one area, rather than stadium offices and training facility offices.

Hard Rock Stadium is currently scheduled to host Super Bowl LIV in February 2020, ending the 2019 NFL, the league’s 100th season. The stadium will also serve as the College Football Playoff National Championship Game site in 2021 and is in the running to be a host site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.