One of the longest-running postseason showcases for college players who want to move on to the NFL will not take place in 2021.
The East-West Shrine Bowl was scheduled for January 23 in St. Petersburg, Florida, but the game’s executive director Bob Roller announced in a statement that it will not go on as scheduled.
“It’s terribly disappointing to have to cancel this year’s game, but there are so many issues involved with bringing in approximately 130 players and 25 NFL coaches from every corner of the United States and Canada,” Roller said. “It’s difficult enough currently for these college teams to provide some sort of a bubble during the regular season, but our game occurs after all players have gone home for the holidays. It presented too many potential issues for this one year.”
Players eligible for the game will still receive invitations to take part despite the decision to cancel this year’s event.