COWBOYS eye fans in California

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) _ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks there are fans to be won in California. <br><br>``We are building interest in the Cowboys and expanding that interest,'' he told the Ventura

Friday, June 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) _ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks there are fans to be won in California.

``We are building interest in the Cowboys and expanding that interest,'' he told the Ventura County Star.

The team has said it wants to spend part of the hottest month of the summer away from Texas. So after its second exhibition game Aug. 11, Dallas will leave its Wichita Falls camp for Oxnard.

The Cowboys will be there from Aug. 13-25. During that time they will make trips to New Orleans to play Saints and Mexico City to play the Oakland Raiders.

Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest TV market, has been without an NFL team since 1995, when the Raiders and Rams left.

Jones said NFL studies indicate that except in the San Francisco Bay and San Diego areas, the Cowboys would win a popularity poll in California. With this in mind, Jones hopes to win new converts in Southern California.

Training camp visitors will be greeted with a mini-theme park, offering exhibits, merchandise and souvenirs.

``It has a lot to do with what we do here in Texas, to involve the media,'' Jones said. ``That's the key.''