While all eyes will be on the action this weekend as the National Football League (NFL) kicks off its postseason playoffs, football fans will also be treated to this year's Hula Bowl which will take place on January 14 at 12:00 noon EST.
What is the Hula Bowl?
With a history that dates back to 1946, the Hula Bowl is an All-Star Football game that is played by some of the leading talents from the NCAA football league.
While the concept was established in 1946, the first-ever Hula Bowl took place on January 5, 1947, where a group of mainland college players took on a group of islanders primarily from the Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Hawaii.
In 1951, the organizers tweaked the rules of the game to allow NFL athletes to join the Hawaiian All-Stars in an effort to level the playing field.
In 1960 the format would once again change with the Hula Bowl becoming an All-Star game featuring only NCAA-level athletes. This was also when teams were divided into the now synonymous Aina and Kai, which translates to land and water in Hawaiian.
The teams were segregated further with one team made up of players from colleges located in the western half of the United States, while the other team constituted players from colleges that were situated in the eastern half of the United States.
The Venue
The Hula Bowl has traditionally been a Hawaiian affair with the games traditionally played at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. In 1998 the mayor of Maui County requested the organizers to host the game on the island of Maui. The organizers obliged and hosted the game at the War Memorial Stadium, which is situated in the town of Kahului.
However, in 2022 the game was moved to Florida for the first in history with the UCF FBC Mortgage Stadium set to also host this year's edition of the game.
When will the game take place?
As stated the game is slated to kick off at 12:00 noon EST on January 14, 2023.
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