The Pro Bowl will continue to be played outside of paradise. ADVERTISING The Pro Bowl will continue to be played outside of paradise. The league announced on Wednesday that the game will not be returning to Aloha Stadium next season
The Pro Bowl will continue to be played outside of paradise.
The league announced on Wednesday that the game will not be returning to Aloha Stadium next season after a one-year hiatus. The NFL’s all-star game will instead make its return to Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
The Pro Bowl moved to Orlando last year from Honolulu, where it had been played for all but two years since 1980. The Pro Bowl was held in Miami in 2010 and in Glendale, Arizona in 2015.
“It’s tough that it’s not there, because we had a great fan base there,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said of moving the game from Hawaii. “I know those fans appreciated it. They lived for that. They don’t have an NFL team and there are a lot of football fans there.”
Browns tackle and 10-time Pro Bowler Joe Thomas added that the consensus opinion in the locker room was in favor of having the game in Hawaii.
“It’s always a fun week no matter where it is, but guys as a whole would certainly rather have it in Hawaii,” said Thomas.
Despite that, the game was generally well-received, not only for the signature event but for a weeklong list of activities leading to it. The buildup, promoting all levels of football, will continue.
“The Pro Bowl is not only a time to watch NFL greats compete live, but it is also a unique opportunity to inspire youth and the next generation of stars,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL senior vice president of events. “We received tremendous feedback from players, coaches and fans about Orlando’s first Pro Bowl, and we are excited to build upon that enthusiasm with a weeklong festival that celebrates the entire football community.”
The game will also continue to follow the traditional AFC versus NFC matchup, which returned last season in favor of the draft format, and feature 88 of the best NFL players — 44 from each conference — as determined by a consensus of votes by fans, players, and coaches.
The AFC prevailed 20-13 in January in a game that drew an announced crowd of 60,834, the fifth-largest announced turnout for the Pro Bowl since the 1970 season.
The only change coming is an earlier game time, which now has a scheduled kickoff for 9 a.m. HST on Sunday, Jan. 28.
