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The Arizona Wildcats will likely hit the road in August, if only for a few days.

UA coach Mike Stoops said Monday he plans to move training camp out of Tucson for three or four days to give his team a break and generate interest in nearby towns.

Stoops did not give specifics, but said he expects to make an announcement in the next few weeks.

"We're going to try to bond more and create new excitement in other places," Stoops said.

Practicing out of town is nothing new for the UA football program. For years, the Wildcats trained at Camp Cochise under coaches Jim Young, Larry Smith and Dick Tomey. The coaches believed the out-of-the-way location — Camp Cochise was held outside Douglas — and Spartan conditions built camaraderie and developed toughness.

John Mackovic moved camp back to Tucson when he took over in 2001. Stoops has held fall camp at the Rincon Vista and Jimenez practice facilities ever since taking over four years ago.

Stoops said he wasn't opposed to leaving town in past years; it was just that the Wildcats typically didn't have many open practice days between the end of summer school and the first day of fall classes.

This year's schedule offers a larger window to explore other sites. Summer-school classes end Aug. 13, and fall classes don't start until Aug. 25, leaving nearly two weeks of uninterrupted practice time.

"There are a lot more free days before the start of school," Stoops said. Moving "will just break up the three weeks of being here and practicing before we get into school."

Also Monday, Stoops said he was encouraged by news that the Wildcats will not lose scholarships based on the NCAA's latest Academic Progress Rate reports.

"We're on the positive end of it, which is nice," Stoops said.

The annual report grades Division I teams on eligibility, retention and graduation rates. The teams that fall below the NCAA-mandated score of 925 — a 60 percent graduation rate — are subject to penalties.

The UA football program scored an 893 last year and lost four scholarships, though one was returned on appeal.

This year's score of 903 was below the NCAA's standard, but the team was not docked scholarships because it had shown academic improvement.

The UA athletic department has made academic reform, which NCAA president Myles Brand said last week "is here to stay," a priority.

"You can see the stability in the program," Stoops said. "We put a lot of time and resources into our kids, and it's starting to pay off.

"You can see the program has gotten better and better each year, and that's what the NCAA wants to see."