East–West Shrine Game

East–West Shrine Game
The game's logo, featuring a young girl recovering from surgery walking with Boston College player Mike Esposito before the 1974 game.[1]
Stadium	Tropicana Field
Location	St. Petersburg, Florida
Previous stadiums	Kezar Stadium (1925–1941, 1943–1968, 1971–1973) Stanford Stadium (1969, 1974–2000) Tulane Stadium (1942) Oakland Coliseum (1970) AT&T Park (2001–2005) Alamodome (2006) Reliant Stadium (2007) Robertson Stadium (2008–2009) Orlando Citrus Bowl (2010–2011)
Previous locations	San Francisco, California (1925–1941, 1943–1968, 1971–1973, 2001–2005) New Orleans, Louisiana (1942) Stanford, California (1969, 1974–2000) Oakland, California (1971) San Antonio, Texas (2006) Houston, Texas (2007–2009) Orlando, Florida (2010–2011)
Operated	1925–present
Sponsors
Shriners (1925–present)
2018 matchup
East vs. West (West 14–10)
2019 matchup
East vs. West (January 19, 2019)

The East–West Shrine Game is a postseason college football all-star game that has been played annually since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Shriners International, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The game's slogan is "Strong Legs Run That Weak Legs May Walk".

Teams consist of players from colleges in the Eastern United States vs. the Western United States. Players must be college seniors who are eligible to play for their school.^[2] The game and the practice sessions leading up to it attract dozens of scouts from professional teams. Since 1985, Canadian players playing in Canadian university football have also been invited (even though the CIS and NCAA play by different football codes). As such, this is the only bowl or all-star game in either the Canadian or American college football schedules to include players from both Canadian and American universities.

Since 1979, the game has been played in January, and has been played on January 10 or later since 1986. The later game dates allow players from teams whose schools were involved in bowl games to participate, which is important, as these teams often have some of the very best players.

History

For most of its history, the game was played in the San Francisco Bay Area, usually at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium or Stanford Stadium at Stanford University, with Pacific Bell Park/SBC Park (now AT&T Park) as a host in its final years in Northern California. For more than half of the games played in the Bay Area, entertainment was provided by the marching band from Santa Cruz High School.^[3]

In January 1942, the game was played in New Orleans, due to the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This one-year relocation was based upon fears that playing the game on the west coast could make the contest and the stadium a potential target for an additional attack. The game, originally planned for January 1 in San Francisco, was played on January 3 at Tulane Stadium, two days after the 1942 Sugar Bowl was held there.^[4]

In 2006, the game moved to Texas, leaving the San Francisco Bay area for the first time since 1942, and was played at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The growth of cable television meant NFL scouts could now view players around the country, making postseason all-star games less important. Even so, the Shrine Game's organizers relaxed efforts towards attracting top players to the game, meaning many of college football's best players went to the Senior Bowl, instead. In 2007, the game relocated to Houston and was played at Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans, to be closer to one of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children; Texas has two Shriner's hospitals, one in Houston and the other in Galveston. The 2008 and 2009 games were held at Robertson Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston.^[5][6]

In 2010, the game moved to Florida, and was held at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Television coverage moved from ESPN/ESPN2 to the NFL Network, starting with the 2011 game.^[7] After two years in Orlando, the 2012 game was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg; it was the sixth different venue (in five cities and three states) in a span of eight contests.

Starting with the January 2017 game, the NFL now supplies coaching staffs for the game, drawing from assistant coaches of teams who did not advance to the NFL postseason, and the game is now officiated by NFL officials.^[8]

A similar game, the North–South Shrine Game, was played in Miami from 1948 to 1973, and a final time in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1976.

Game results

Through the 2018 playing of the game, the West currently leads all-time with 50 wins to the East's 38 wins, while five games have tied.^[9][10]

No. Date Winner Score Location Notes 1 December 26, 1925 West 6–0 San Francisco 2 January 1, 1927 West 7–3 San Francisco 3 December 26, 1927 West 16–6 San Francisco 4 December 29, 1928 East 20–0 San Francisco 5 January 1, 1930 East 19–7 San Francisco 6 December 27, 1930 West 3–0 San Francisco 7 January 1, 1932 East 6–0 San Francisco 8 January 2, 1933 West 21–13 San Francisco 9 January 1, 1934 West 12–0 San Francisco 10 January 1, 1935 West 19–13 San Francisco 11 January 1, 1936 East 19–3 San Francisco 12 January 1, 1937 East 3–0 San Francisco 13 January 1, 1938 Tie 0–0 San Francisco 14 January 2, 1939 West 14–0 San Francisco 15 January 1, 1940 West 28–11 San Francisco 16 January 1, 1941 West 20–14 San Francisco 17 January 3, 1942 Tie 6–6 New Orleans 18 January 1, 1943 East 13–12 San Francisco 19 January 1, 1944 Tie 13–13 San Francisco 20 January 1, 1945 West 13–7 San Francisco 21 January 1, 1946 Tie 7–7 San Francisco 22 January 1, 1947 West 13–9 San Francisco 23 January 1, 1948 East 40–9 San Francisco 24 January 1, 1949 East 14–12 San Francisco 25 December 31, 1949 East 28–6 San Francisco 26 December 30, 1950 West 16–7 San Francisco 27 December 29, 1951 East 15–14 San Francisco 28 December 27, 1952 East 21–20 San Francisco 29 January 2, 1954 West 31–7 San Francisco 30 January 1, 1955 East 13–12 San Francisco 31 December 31, 1955 East 29–6 San Francisco 32 December 29, 1956 West 7–6 San Francisco 33 December 28, 1957 West 27–13 San Francisco 34 December 27, 1958 East 26–14 San Francisco 35 January 2, 1960 West 21–14 San Francisco 36 December 31, 1960 East 7–0 San Francisco 37 December 30, 1961 West 21–8 San Francisco 38 December 29, 1962 East 25–19 San Francisco 39 December 28, 1963 Tie 6–6 San Francisco 40 January 2, 1965 West 11–7 San Francisco 41 December 31, 1965 West 22–7 San Francisco 42 December 31, 1966 East 45–22 San Francisco 43 December 30, 1967 East 16–14 San Francisco 44 December 28, 1968 West 18–7 San Francisco 45 December 27, 1969 West 15–0 Stanford, California 46 January 2, 1971 West 17–13 Oakland, California 47 December 31, 1971 West 17–13 San Francisco

No. Date Winner Score Location Notes 48 December 30, 1972 East 9–3 San Francisco 49 December 29, 1973 East 35–7 San Francisco 50 December 28, 1974 East 16–14 Stanford, California 51 January 3, 1976 West 21–14 Stanford, California 52 January 2, 1977 West 30–14 Stanford, California 53 December 31, 1977 West 23–3 Stanford, California 54 January 6, 1979 East 56–17 Stanford, California 55 January 5, 1980 West 20–10 Stanford, California 56 January 10, 1981 East 21–3 Stanford, California 57 January 9, 1982 West 20–13 Stanford, California 58 January 15, 1983 East 26–25 Stanford, California 59 January 7, 1984 East 27–19 Stanford, California 60 January 5, 1985 West 21–10 Stanford, California 61 January 11, 1986 East 18–7 Stanford, California 62 January 10, 1987 West 24–21 Stanford, California 63 January 16, 1988 West 16–13 Stanford, California 64 January 15, 1989 East 24–6 Stanford, California 65 January 21, 1990 West 22–21 Stanford, California 66 January 26, 1991 West 24–21 Stanford, California 67 January 19, 1992 West 14–6 Stanford, California 68 January 24, 1993 East 31–17 Stanford, California 69 January 15, 1994 West 29–28 Stanford, California 70 January 14, 1995 West 30–28 Stanford, California 71 January 13, 1996 West 34–18 Stanford, California 72 January 11, 1997 East 17–13 Stanford, California 73 January 10, 1998 West 24–7 Stanford, California 74 January 16, 1999 East 20–10 Stanford, California 75 January 15, 2000 East 35–21 Stanford, California 76 January 13, 2001 West 20–10 San Francisco 77 January 12, 2002 West 21–13 San Francisco 78 January 11, 2003 East 20–17 San Francisco 79 January 10, 2004 West 28–7 San Francisco notes 80 January 15, 2005 East 45–27 San Francisco notes 81 January 21, 2006 West 35–31 San Antonio notes 82 January 20, 2007 West 21–3 Houston notes 83 January 19, 2008 West 31–13 Houston notes 84 January 17, 2009 East 24–19 Houston notes 85 January 23, 2010 East 13–10 Orlando, Florida notes 86 January 22, 2011 East 25–8 Orlando, Florida notes 87 January 21, 2012 West 24–17 St. Petersburg, Florida notes 88 January 19, 2013 West 28–13 St. Petersburg, Florida notes 89 January 18, 2014 East 23–13 St. Petersburg, Florida notes 90 January 17, 2015 East 19–3 St. Petersburg, Florida notes 91 January 23, 2016 West 29–9 St. Petersburg, Florida notes 92 January 21, 2017 West 10–3 St. Petersburg, Florida notes 93 January 20, 2018 West 14–10 St. Petersburg, Florida notes 94 January 19, 2019   notes

Errata

MVPs

The Shrine Game first named a Most Valuable Player for the January 1945 game (Bob Waterfield, UCLA quarterback), and named a single MVP through the December 1952 game. Starting with the January 1954 game, two MVPs are selected for each game; they receive the William H. Coffman Award for Most Outstanding Offensive Player, and the E. Jack Spaulding Award for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.^[12] Coffman was managing director of the game for 40 years, while Spaulding was one of the organizers of the first East–West Shrine Game.^[12] MVPs starting with the January 2000 game are listed below; a complete list is provided on the official website.^[13]

Canadian invitees

Although the Shrine Game is an American football competition, players of Canadian university football, contested under Canadian football rules, have been invited every year since 1985, when Calgary Dinos offensive lineman Tom Spoletini played. Usually, Canadian players on the West team come from Canada West schools, while Canadian players on the East team are from the other three Canadian conferences (Ontario University Athletics, Atlantic University Sport, and Quebec Student Sport Federation). One exception was Sean McEwen of the Calgary Dinos (a Canada West school), who played on the East squad in the 2016 game.

The only Canadian team that competes under American football rules is the Simon Fraser Clan, which was in the NAIA from 1965 to 2001, then spent several seasons in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and joined NCAA Division II in 2010. To date, the only Simon Fraser player to be invited to the Shrine Game is Ibrahim Khan, who played in 2004. Through the 2018 game, the Calgary Dinos have had the most invitees, with 12.

Hall of fame

A hall of fame was established in 2002, with additional former players being added each year.^[16] Through 2018 inductees, there are currently 57 members of the hall of fame.

Inductees range from having played in game 10 (January 1935) to game 77 (January 2002). Game 48 (December 1972) has had the most players honored, four.

Pat Tillman Award

Game organizers initiated a Pat Tillman Award in 2005, the year that Tillman was posthumously inducted to the game's hall of fame, to recognize "a player who best exemplifies character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service".^[18]

Head coaches who played in the game

There have been several Shrine Game head coaches who previously played in the game.^[20]

References

External links

• Official website