What is the East-West Shrine Bowl? New location announced for 2022

At the end of every college football season, certain standout players are selected to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl. It's considered the All-Star Game for graduating seniors in college football, and another opportunity for players to showcase their abilities in front of NFL scouts and coaches.

While it's a big deal on the field, the benefits of the East-West Shrine Bowl off the field are even bigger.

The history of the East-West Shrine Bowl

The oldest college All-Star Game, the East-West Shrine Game, began in 1925 as a way to raise money for Shriner's Hospitals for Children. The game features college seniors from the West Coast facing off against college seniors from the East Coast, which also includes select seniors from Canada.

The game was first played in the San Francisco Bay area and Standford Stadium before moving. Since 2010, the East-West Shrine Game has been played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

This week. an announcement was made stating that the East-West Shrine Game will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the new Allegiant Stadium. The event will be held in partnership with the NFL.

The East-West Shrine Game will now be a part of the Pro Bowl Week activities, with the 2022 East-West Shrine Game scheduled for February 3, 2022.

The East-West Shrine Bowl, the nation’s oldest college football all-star game, is partnering with the NFL and moving the event to Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium as part of NFL Pro Bowl week. The game will be Thursday, February 3rd, in primetime, on NFL Network.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 6, 2021

The East-West Shrine Game in Las Vegas will give Shriner's Hospitals for Children an even bigger stage and opportunity to draw more support. By being broadcast on the NFL Network in primetime, the game will draw even more viewership and donations.

East-West Shrine Bowl comes to Las Vegas in February https://t.co/cxbDUrlmnS via @reviewjournal

— Football Foundation (@NFFNetwork) July 6, 2021

According to the Shriner's website, the game helps support the mission of the hospital.

"Shriners Hospitals for Children's mission is to provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the families’ ability to pay for services."

Players visit Shriner's Hospitals for Children during the East-West Shrine Game week. They also participate in activities with the patients and learn more about the hospital. A number of former players continue to support the hospital with charitable contributions.

Some former East-West Shrine Bowl game players include Hall of Fame quarterbacks John Elway and Brett Favre. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady also played in the East-West Shrine Game after his college career at the University of Michigan.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo not only played in the East-West Shrine Bowl Game but he was also named "Offensive Most Valuable Player" in 2014.