Orlando to get preseason game in addition to Pro Bowl
STAR-ADVERTISER / JAN. 31, 2016
The 35th Pro Bowl co-MVP Russell Wilson gave autographs to the fans before leaving the field to catch the team bus.
Orlando, Fla. will land an NFL preseason game in addition to the 2017 Pro Bowl, the league announced today.
The game is moving from Aloha Stadium, where it has been played for all but two years since 1980, to Orlando, the site of today’s press conference.
In addition to Hawaii, Houston and Sydney, Australia also bid on the game.
The Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons will play their Aug. 25 game at Camping World Stadium, the site of the Pro Bowl, the NFL announced.
According to a source familiar with the deal, Orlando has the game for two years with an option for a third year. No terms were announced, but the two parties had been discussing a $2.5 million deal for the initial year.
In addition, the NFL said the annual all-star game will return to an NFC vs. AFC format after three years of having Hall of Fame players choosing up sides.
Pro Bowl practices will be held at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at the Disney World Resort in conjunction with youth football events, a fan festival, 5K race and parade.
“Collaborating with Disney and ESPN brings us closer to the best in youth and family-focused entertainment,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a release. “We look forward to working with the city of Orlando and Florida Citrus Sports to create a week-long celebration for football and our fans.”
“Our decision to move the Pro Bowl to a different location was not related to funding, Aloha Stadium or Hawai‘i’s ability to host the game,” Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s senior vice president of events said in a joint release with the Hawaii Tourism Authority. “We value our partnership and look forward to continuing our community grants to nonprofits in Hawai‘i for the next three years and working with the State.”
The HTA said the $5-million fee budgeted to host the 2017 Pro Bowl, “will be used to support sports competitions, preserve Hawaiian culture and the environment, sponsor community festivals and events, and bolster tourism marketing in Hawai‘i’s largest markets (Mainland U.S. and Japan) and emerging markets.”
18 responses to “Orlando to get preseason game in addition to Pro Bowl”
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perhaps pushing for a pro team?
ok let’s get on the bandwagon with Fearless Ige and get us one pro team!!! RAH RAH FIF BOOM BAH!!
Congratulations Orlando. Guess the NFL going back to the old format after finding out that the systems used these past three years wasn’t to popular.
Getting a preseason game is the real coup for Orlando. Put the 49ers against Oakland Raiders here for a preseason game and you are set. Too bad this was not thought of before.
HANDWRITING/GRAFFITI ON THE WALL: HAWAII HAS, IS, AND WILL GET 2ND-CLASS TREATMENT ALL THE TIME.
Orlando $2.5 mil and Hawaii $5 mil? How does that work?
They have a real negotiator. We had Mufi!
Shocker.
Mufi likes it here so he can attend all the events and eat good kaukau and sing some karaoke.
Hawaii needs to move on. We paid 5mil they paid 2.5 mil. NFL just thinks are stupid and our politicians are. And they get a preseason game. We got a wave and a kick on our behind.
Preserve Hawaiian culture? How many billions are being spent on this?
Hawaii played for a sucker again. Orlando gets the pro bowl 2017 for 2.5mil PLUS a preseason NFL game. When will we local yokels ever learn?
The NFL is probably saving a lot of money too not having to fly everyone over to the middle of the Pacific.
The NFL will hold the Pro Bowl in beautiful downtown Orlando but most of the players will be out here in Hawaii on the beach.
Thanks a bunch Roger Goodell! Hawaii’s one NFL event all year long is now gone. The Pro Bowl was our ONLY opportunity to see a live NFL event without spending hundreds of dollars to travel to the mainland. I’ve been attending the Pro Bowl for 20 years and am extremely upset with your decision.
Time for you to save up your $ and go to Florida and wave the Hawaii State flag at the next Pro-Bowl game…..make A and try to get on National TV……make us proud….you’ll be a hit on Social Media like that Apple Exec who wore flip-flops at game 7 of the Golden State Warriors game and made the front page of the San Francisco Chronical Tuesday.
I give Mufi credit for having the foresight to tell the state to negotiate a pre season game in addition to the pro bowl. They should have listened. Ever since the Pro Bowl moved to before the SuperBowl its value had diminished. It’s become a non non event. A preseason game, especially if just before the regular season would have been a boon. HTA is clueless when it comes to sports marketing.
What a deal for the NFL. Support from the Florida – Orlando visitor industry; Mega corporation support from Disney World and Hotel Corporation; ESPN TV; the Florida Citrus Sports group; and $2.5 million a year?
Plus cheaper airlines fares for the NFL to fly players and families and a much larger NFL and SEC University football fan base. Also on the East Coast and NY?
This is an offer they couldn’t refuse! .