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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 1, 2002
Tampa is a possible site for next year's Florida-Georgia High School Football All-Star Classic, Florida Athletic Coaches Association executive director Wink Barnette said Monday.
The game is at Atlanta's Georgia Dome this December, but organizers are interested in the possibility of alternating between states every other year. Barnette recently met with officials from the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, and the idea was met with optimism by both parties.
"We wanted to give the Tampa area first shot," Barnette said. "We think it would be a good area to play the game, and it hasn't been there before."
Barnette will meet with Tampa Sports Commission president Ross Bartow in two weeks, when he will give the commission details about the event. Barnette said hosting costs, which include housing, insurance, meals and rental facilities are about $100,000.
"We asked the FACA to tell us more about what it takes to be the host," Bartow said. "That's the first thing. Then, we need to see if we can meet expectations and exceed them. ... Right now, it's something we're definitely interested in and pursuing."
One consideration: The availability of Raymond James Stadium. The classic would be played the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, which could cause logistical problems with Buccaneer games and the annual Outback Bowl.
"We would hope to play at Raymond James," Barnette said. "That would be ideal. Typically, the game is on Saturday, but I let them know we're not locked into that. It could be Friday night."
The classic began in 1985. Games also have been played in Orlando, Daytona Beach, Gainesville and Knoxville, Tenn., which hosted the event along with the Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star Game in June 2001 after a deal with Atlanta fell through.
The classic was moved from June to December last year with the intent of attracting more top players. In recent years, several big-name talents opted not to play for fear of being injured so close to the start of their college careers.
The game usually draws about 10,000 fans.
Barnette said Tampa would be ideal because it offers numerous attractions for the players.
"We treat it like a bowl game," Barnette said. "They practice in the morning and go to a different attraction in the afternoon. It's a bowl game experience for the elite high school athletes. We don't want it to be just another football game.'