College all-star schedule

RamView's upcoming attempted coverage of 2013's college all-star games:

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will be held again this year at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. They're really trying to raise the profile of the game - there's actually going to be four hours of practice coverage on ESPNU on January 17. One practice will air at 12:30 CST and the other at 3:30. The game itself will air at 5:30 on Saturday, January 19. Dick Vermeil will be head coach of one of the teams for the second straight year. He'll face off against Herm Edwards, who assuredly will be playing to win the game. We'll see if anything's been done to upgrade the talent playing in the game. Last year's squads looked mostly like players who would get cut in training camp.

The East-West Shrine Game, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, will be played the same day, just like last year. It will be covered by NFL Network and will start at 3:00. I'm not aware of any plans by NFL Network to air practices but will update if they come out. This game is typically made up of third-day draft choices. Austin Davis and Cory Harkey played in last year's game.

The Senior Bowl, from Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, will be aired on NFL Network at 3:00 on January 26. The Raiders and Lions coaching staffs have been selected to coach the two sides. Laughably, this is the eighth time the Lions have been bad enough to earn Senior Bowl coaching "honors". NFL Network coverage of Senior Bowl practices traditionally begins on the Tuesday before the game, which would be January 22. Isaiah Pead was the MVP of last year's game. Janoris Jenkins and Brian Quick also played if I'm not mistaken.


RamView was able to recap these three games and the televised practices last year, so I'm shooting for that again this year. Much to my surprise, though, there are quite a few other college all-star games.

January 19 is apparently THE day to hold a college all-star game if you're going to have one. The inaugural Raycom College Football All-Star Classic kicks off in Montgomery, Alabama at 1 p.m. on the 19th. It will be aired on CBS Sports Network, and I get that, so I may give this game a shot.

RamView is saddened to announce that the Cactus Bowl is officially no more, but the spotlight game for Division II players has moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia and has been re-christened the "USA Freedom Bowl". Kickoff will be 12:15 CST on Dr. Martin Luther King Day, January 21st. I can't determine what TV coverage the game will have, if any. The Cactus Bowl was only ever viewable on the web to my knowledge.

The Texas vs. The Nation game will be held in Allen, Texas, kicking off at 1:30 on Groundhog Day. My main problem with the game is its claim that it will be "broadcast nationally" on Fox Sports Southwest. Yeah, that's not really so national. I don't plan to fork over a bazillion dollars to DirecTV just to be able to pick this one up. Leak it over to Fox Sports Midwest, though, and we might be talking.

 The folks who are putting on the USA Freedom Bowl are REALLY into their college all-star games! They are putting on something called the "Hansen Bowl" on February 18th. It's a showcase game for Division III players. Please tell me the group Hansen is either singing the national anthem, or performing "Mmm-Bop" at halftime. I don't find a kickoff time on their website, which says the game will be nationally broadcast on delay, but doesn't list a network. This same group reportedly put on a NAIA-level all-star game on December 17th. I can find news releases of players being invited to that game but nothing about the game itself. I'd especially like to see the boxscore of this one because the teams were supposed to be called the "Santas" and the "Snowmen".

The 2013 NFL Combine in Indianapolis opens on February 20th; I believe NFL Network will begin live coverage on the 23rd. RamView plans to be all over that when the time comes.





Any other all-star games out there, or further details on these games, let me know. I'm glutton enough to give 'em a watch if they're on TV.

-$-