October 20, 1997

49ERS TO SUMMER IN STOCKTON

The San Francisco 49ers have announced that they will move their summer training camp to Stockton, California on the campus of the University of the Pacific beginning in 1998.

San Francisco 49ers president Carmen Policy and other team officials were met on Friday by a celebratory rally on campus of more than 1,000 people, including San Diego Chargers owner and Stockton native Alex Spanos, who was instrumental in bringing the 49ers to his hometown.

"First off, let me express my opinion of the gathering -- Wow!" said Policy. "Moving our camp to Stockton was an opportunity to become more involved in a community that is still within our market and also within close proximity of our training facility."

Spanos made a $1 million pledge to the college to help bring the 49ers to the campus.

He attended the University of the Pacific and is one of the school's main benefactors.

"I can't tell you how happy I was to see this crowd here today," said Spanos. "Of my 74 years in this city of Stockton, this is without a doubt one of the happiest moments of my life."

The 49ers have trained at Sierra College in Rocklin, California, for the past 17 seasons.