Fansided

NFL Pro Bowl moving to Orlando as part of multi-year deal

By Jason Parker

Jan 1, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; General view of the field during the first quarter the game between the Florida Gators and the Michigan Wolverines in the 2016 Citrus Bowl at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; General view of the field during the first quarter the game between the Florida Gators and the Michigan Wolverines in the 2016 Citrus Bowl at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NFL has called a press conference for Wednesday, where they will announce the Pro Bowl is moving to Orlando, FL for more than just 2017.

Earlier this month, news began to leak that the NFL was considering a move again involving the annual Pro Bowl game, which has had a rocky relationship with its longtime home in Hawai’i recently. Now, it appears the game is going to be moving off the island state for the near future.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport took to Twitter to report the league will announce Wednesday a multi-year deal to move their All-Star game to another state known for sunshine and tourism:

The Pro Bowl game has moved from location to location for most of the 1970’s before settling in Hawai’i for the game following the 1979 season. It stayed in the same location until moving to South Florida for the 2009 season (and moving to its current spot the week before the Super Bowl). The game would return to Hawai’i for 2010-13 and 2015 while being played in Glendale, AZ for the 2014 season.

The NFL has taken plenty of heat recently for the lack of enthusiasm that has come with the game, including players pulling out of the game who aren’t legitimately injured and just don’t want to play. The format of the game changed in 2013 where former players draft the two teams, a change from the format of AFC vs. NFC that had been around since 1970.

The move to Orlando is also being done in part due to the game’s contract with ESPN through the 2022 season. ESPN is 80 percent owned by Disney, which explains the desire to move the game to one of their properties.

The Pro Bowl will take place at Camping World Stadium (formerly known as the Citrus Bowl), which recently finished their renovations and has attracted plenty of events, including several WrestleManias and top football games (FSU-Ole Miss in 2016, Alabama-Louisville in 2018 and Florida-Miami in 2019) in addition to the annual Citrus Bowl game during bowl season.

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