East-West Shrine Bowl, Benefiting Shriners Children’s, Celebrates 100 Years

Shriners Children’s is thrilled to announce that tickets are now on sale for its 100th East-West Shrine Bowl, the nation’s longest-running college all-star football game and second oldest bowl game. The event will kick off on Jan. 30, 2025, at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Not only does the game give top college players the chance to showcase their talents to NFL scouts and a national television audience, but the East-West Shrine Bowl benefits the Shriners Children’s mission to provide excellent specialty care for children regardless of families’ ability to pay or insurance status.

“We were the first to pen the phrase, ‘More than just a game.’ And that’s truly what it is,” said Bob Roller, vice president of sports for Shriners Children’s. “We tell the story through these all-stars of our all-stars, which are the 1.5 million Shriners patients we have treated over the last 100 years. This game is our signature event to tell that story to the country.”

The East-West Shrine Bowl helps raise the profile of the international healthcare system, which treats orthopedic conditions, burns, cleft lip and cleft palate, spinal cord injuries and sports injuries. It also furthers Shriners Children’s goal to reach more kids in more places.

“It’s unbelievable that it’s been 100 years. When I played, it was the 50th, and the game is still going strong,” said Mike Esposito, former NFL and Shrine Bowl player. “That’s just what the Shriners do for kids.”

Humble Beginnings

Many might not know that the East-West Shrine Bowl wasn’t initially a football game. Before 1925, it was a baseball game held several times between Shriners International in San Francisco and the Elks, raising money for their respective charities.

But Shriners team captain E. Jack Spaulding wanted to generate more exposure for the organizations and decided to switch the sport to football, envisioning that an all-star game featuring the best college players might be more successful. Thus, the East-West Shrine Bowl was born, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s.

For the first football game, top college players from the East and West coasts went head-to-head on Dec. 26, 1925, at San Francisco’s Ewing Field. The Shriners welcomed an audience of 25,000 fans, the largest crowd in the venue's history, and raised $25,000, which was donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children — San Francisco.

Year after year, the East-West Shrine Bowl has proved to be a winning formula, pairing charity fundraising with gridiron thrills. With NFL scouts and executives in attendance, the game became a must-see showcase of the nation’s greatest college football talent, including such legends as Tom Brady, Walter Payton, Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly as well as current stars Brock Purdy, Zay Flowers and Isiah Pacheco. The game helped kick off the careers of 80 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and more than 200 members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Esteemed coaches such as Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Jerry Glanville have also participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Honoring 100 Years

Anticipation is high for the centennial East-West Shrine Bowl, featuring ambassador Drew Pearson. With all 32 NFL teams’ scouts and executives in attendance, top collegiate players from around the country will be performing. The game will be nationally televised in primetime on the NFL Network.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the East-West Shrine Bowl has created the All-Century Team, featuring legendary players such as Brady, Payton, Staubach, Paul Hornung, Lawrence Taylor and Doak Walker, among others. Also new this year is an exhibit about the bowl at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Festivities surrounding the all-star game’s centennial include an East-West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame banquet on Jan. 29 at Globe Life Field, the first since 2020, honoring inductees Eddie George and Andrew Whitworth. Plus, a pre-game Fan Fest will be held at AT&T Stadium’s Miller LiteHouse from 4-6 p.m.

Family-friendly ticket options range from $20-$50 and are available at ShrineBowl.com. Premium seating options, including all-you-can-eat tickets in the AT&T Stadium Founders Club, are on sale now (select Section C210).