1. The game has been played for nearly 100 years.
The first East-West Shrine Game was played in 1925 in San Francisco. When the game was first held in 1925, it was the first college football all-star game to ever be played. This year's Shrine Game will be held in St. Petersburg, Florida after having been held in California and Texas previously. The Shrine Game arrived in Orlando in 2010 and relocated again to St. Petersburg in 2012, where it has been held since.
2. The game benefits a charity.
The Shrine Game benefits Shriners Hospital for Children, which specializes in burn care, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate treatment. The hospital has numerous locations throughout the United States, including one in Tampa.
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- The West has the all-time lead.**
So far, the West team has the edge on the East team, 48-37. On five different occasions, the Shrine Game has ended in a tie. The West won, 29-9, a year ago and has won three of the past five games. The East rattled off back-to-back victories in 2014 and 2015 before falling in 2016.
4. NFL alumni make up the coaching staff.
A year ago, former Buccaneer Mike Alstott served as the running backs coach for the East team while former tight end Dave Moore also was on the team's coaching roster. This year, several former NFL players will assist in coaching both squads. A few notable players to coach include former Buccaneer defensive tackle Brad White, former wide receiver Bobby Engram, former running back Duece Staley and Larry Foote, a former linebacker and the inside linebackers coach for the Cardinals.
5. It will be broadcast nationally.
The Shrine Game will be broadcast live on NFL Network. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday. The next major college football all-star game will be the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on January 28th.
