These days there are only a few teams that move far, far away for training camp. The Chiefs had been in River Falls, WI the last 19 years -- about a seven hour drive from Kansas City -- and last year there were sometimes only a few hundred fans on weekday practices.
In contrast, other teams that hold training camp closer to their fanbase, would have thousands of fans each day.
"Again, it’s not just the players, it’s everybody," he said. "I think having the fans there and the energy that comes from the fans is really going to help us as a football team and again, I think everyone wins in this situation. The fans wanted us closer and we’re going to be closer."
Pioli says the fans can give the players some energy on days when the "grueling" training camp makes it hard to get out of bed.
He also said a big part of the move to St. Joe was the difficulty of players, coaches and team employees being away from their family for so long.
"When we were seven hours from here, it was difficult," he said. "We went away and we didn’t see people for a couple of weeks and just to be able to have that interaction with your family, with friends, with some faces that are familiar, it’s really a positive thing"
In the past, Pioli says, that would be considered a distraction but he says he knows he wants to see his own family when at training camp.