The New Orleans Saints will report to training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., on Wednesday, July 23, with the first set of two-a-day practices scheduled the next day.

Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press

Rookie wide receiver Robert Meachem stretches but cannot catch a pass during the afternoon practice of Saints training camp in 2007.

The team will break camp and return to New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 12, giving the Saints roughly three weeks to bake in the sweltering Mississippi heat.

This will be the Saints' third straight year in Jackson, a tradition that has met with mixed results. In 2006, new coach Sean Payton used the grueling getaway to set the tone for one of the most remarkable single-season turnarounds in NFL history. Last year, however, the Saints got off to an 0-4 start and failed to reach the playoffs.

"I have always been a proponent of holding training camp away, and Millsaps has done a wonderful job in hosting us," Payton said in a statement Monday. "It is close enough for our fans in New Orleans to drive to Jackson and see us practice, and the people of Jackson have been tremendously supportive. We look forward to starting up again soon."

All practices at Millsaps will be open to the public. Most practices begin at 8:50 a.m. and either at 3:40 p.m. or 4:20 p.m., though the schedule varies from day to day and is subject to change. The Saints have scheduled a total of 29 practices on campus, including some abbreviated special teams sessions.

They are planning a special practice in Jackson's Veteran's Memorial Stadium on Aug. 2, centered on the team's annual Family Day, followed by an off-day on Aug. 3. They also will not hold any practices on Thursday, Aug. 7 or the following day, because they are traveling to Arizona for the Aug. 7 preseason opener.

When the Saints return to their practice facility, all practices likely will be closed to the public. The Saints will conduct three joint practices with the Houston Texans that week in preparation for their preseason game in the Superdome on Aug. 16.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)