High School Football: No Shrine Bowl game in 2020, but Queen City Senior Bowl still on
There will be no Shrine Bowl game in 2020.
The decision was made after a special executive meeting of the Shrine Bowl Board of Governors on Thursday. Shrine Bowl game chairman Ronnie Blount said the coronavirus pandemic would make playing the game difficult.
The game would’ve been played Dec. 19 at Wofford College in Spartanburg.
“Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic,” Blount said, “the Shrine Bowl Athletic Department and Medical Staff have been doing their due diligence in trying to prepare for the 84th Shrine Bowl Game. The staff has been trying to glean every piece of information from the North and South Carolina governing bodies possible. Everything from player selection, housing, transportation and food services for our players, coaches and athletic staff and medical personnel.”
Blount said putting on the game in the current environment would take “monumental efforts.”
“The challenges of COVID-19 in which we are now faced, are those that cannot hardly be achieved by us at this time,” Blount said. “In short, if we are not able to produce a great quality game as we have done the past 83 years and provide the best game possible for our sponsors, players, coaches and patrons, then we should not play the game this year.”
Blount said a Shrine Bowl team will be selected: 44 players in each state.
The Shrine Bowl will return in December 2021.
▪ Bobby Collins, organizer of the Queen City Senior Bowl, said that game will be played this season. Collins said the game would be played one week after the state championship. Collins said the Senior Bowl will be played in the winter or in the spring, if the N.C. High School Athletic Association decides to move football season into 2021.
Last year’s game featured 80 seniors from Mecklenburg County.
“It’s a great experience for the kids,” Collins said. “All the kids last year had a great experience and the game turned out so well, so I’m expecting bigger and better things.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 4:40 PM.
