The humane face of US college football

Article posted by Coliseum, July 20^th, 2021

Image: Shrine Bowl

The East-West Shrine Bowl™, America’s longest-running college football All-Star game, which supports Shriners Hospitals for Children® in Florida (US), will be played on February 3^rd, 2022, at the home of the National Football League (NFL) team Las Vegas Raiders – the enticing Allegiant Stadium – as part of the NFL Pro Bowl week (All-Star game of the NFL).

The ‘Las Vegas Raiders’ stated that televised nationally during primetime on NFL Network, the East-West Shrine Bowl™ will kick off from Allegiant Stadium, one of the nation’s premier professional stadiums. The event will bring approximately 125 of the nation’s top college seniors to be coached by the National Football League (NFL) staffs for a week of preparation in front of hundreds of NFL scouts, professional agents and media, all leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, which will also be held in Las Vegas.

The East-West Shrine Bowl™ is a postseason college football All-Star game that has been played annually since 1925.

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The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference.

The 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium is a domed stadium located in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It serves as the home stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels college football team.

Each offseason, the National Football League commissions a draft consisting of both a standard and supplemental process for selecting amateur or semi-professional players which is known as the NFL Draft.

Said Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice-President, Football Operations, “The East-West Shrine Bowl is exemplary of the values of football, as all involved have the opportunity to inspire and encourage the children and families at Shriners Hospitals. In addition to community service and engagement, student athletes get an early start on the evaluation of their skills and coaches also showcase their talent, develop professionally and network with colleagues, which is invaluable to the future of football.”

The ‘Las Vegas Raiders’ further stated that throughout the 97-year storied history of the East-West Shrine Bowl, the legendary game has produced more than 500 NFL Pro Bowl appearances. The 2022 game will mark the first time that both the Shrine Bowl and Pro Bowl align during the same week to strengthen the relationship between the two events. The move to Las Vegas this February comes after the Shrine Bowl was played in St. Petersburg, Florida (US), for the past 10 years.

Remarked Bob Roller, Director, National Sports Management for Shriners Hospitals, “This is a historic day for the East-West Shrine Bowl and Shriners Hospitals for Children. Our goal was to expand the reach and mission of our healthcare system and to hold a world-class sporting event, and this partnership with the NFL and Pro Bowl Week greatly enhances our ongoing mission that has helped more than 1.5 million children since opening in 1922.”

Thousands of East-West Shrine Bowl All-Stars have gone to the NFL in the past century, including 78 who went on to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some of the many legendary names in past games include Tom Brady, Gale Sayers, John Elway, Lawrence Taylor, Pat Tillman, Brett Favre, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, Frank Gifford, and Roger Staubach.

Enthused Steve Hill, CEO/President, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, “We’re thrilled that the East-West Shrine Bowl will be coming to Las Vegas as part of NFL Pro Bowl Week, and to welcome such a prestigious event for the student-athletes and their fans, Las Vegas has become the Sports Capital of the World and adding this bowl game showcasing college football’s elite certainly enhances that standing.”

The East-West Shrine Bowl benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children and its mission to provide excellent care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the families’ financial wherewithal.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority are a Government agency and the official destination marketing organization for Southern Nevada in the United States. It was founded by the Nevada Legislature in 1955.

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