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IFCA/IHSAA Should Consider Indiana vs Kentucky All Star Football Game


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IFCA/IHSAA Should Consider Indiana vs Kentucky All Star Football Game
 
Without a doubt, the State of Indiana has made big strides in football at both the high school and collegiate levels over the past decade.
 
Indiana high schools are producing more Division 1 high end talent than ever before, and our players are receiving higher rankings and grades from the various scouting and recruiting services.
 
Many Indiana coaches in our current HHF Interview Series have commented on the tremendouse facilities in Central Indiana, and the fact that more and more schools are now utilizing college like strength and conditioning programs and investing dollars in coaching and equipment to drive their programs to higher levels than ever before.
 
Our state university achieved a Top 10 national ranking for the first time in school history last season.
 
All signs are pointing towards continued growth and success for Indiana football at all levels.
 
A great opportunity exists for Indiana football administrators and coaches to recognize that success and improvement, and that would be by initiating an interstate post season All Star football game with one of our neighboring states.
 
The Alabama - Mississippi post season All Star Classic is held the second Saturday in December, always in an open air stadium. Participation is excellent, as both states produce a tremendous amount of high level D1 Power 5 talent. Rosters are limited to 40 players, and the competition is executed at a very high level as players are still in football shape, many also pulling double duty in wrestling or basketball.
 
The biggest criticism of the current Indiana all star version is that the game is skipped by the top players due to injury concerns. Given the July game date, that likely will never change as universities are loathe to expose their prize recruits to the possibility of an injury in what they consider to be an "exhibition" game.
 
Frankly, I feel there is room for both games. A true Indiana football All Class All Star team of 40 players would be a thrill to watch in action, squaring off against the Top 40 from Kentucky in Lucas Oil Stadium on the second Saturday in December. Kentucky football has risen considerably since the hiring of UK Coach Mark Stoops. This would likely be a highly competitive game, with much of the hoopla that we used to see in the Indiana - Kentucky basketball all star series.
 
What are your thoughts, pro and con, regarding a December Indiana vs Kentucky All Star Football Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium?
 
May be an image of text that says 'ALABAMA MISSISSIPPI ALA. MISS. ALL-STAR GAME'
 
 
 
 

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If you can secure it in LOS, it may have some life, otherwise don’t see that many people interested watching a high school football all-star game in the middle of December outdoors.

Still think you’d get a fairly watered down product. Guessing most of the players good info to make the all-star football team are likely playing basketball as well, especially in the lower classes. Summer works for the IN-KY bball series because it doesn’t interfere with any other sanctioned sports.

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Love the idea of an interstate all-star game. I actually did a project about an interstate all star game during one of my classes while getting my masters degree. Granted mine was one a much smaller scale with little actual research done (SW Indiana v. Western KY). I called it the Kentuckiana All-Star Bowl. I had it played in the Reitz Bowl due to the game being in June, but a winter all-star game would have to be played at LOS. I have a strong feeling that this sort of game was in the works to be conducted down in Evansville (but was curtailed by COVID) because I thought they stole my idea lol. Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate any data that suggests this game was ever in existence.

I think a game vs KY or IL makes great sense. KY feels like a better option in my opinion, as I feel IL has more beef with MO when it comes to football. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong on that statement as I'm basing that solely off of living in STL for a year and the vibe I got from the HS football scene.

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7 hours ago, OldHatchetHog76 said:

Love the idea of an interstate all-star game. I actually did a project about an interstate all star game during one of my classes while getting my masters degree. Granted mine was one a much smaller scale with little actual research done (SW Indiana v. Western KY). I called it the Kentuckiana All-Star Bowl. I had it played in the Reitz Bowl due to the game being in June, but a winter all-star game would have to be played at LOS. I have a strong feeling that this sort of game was in the works to be conducted down in Evansville (but was curtailed by COVID) because I thought they stole my idea lol. Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate any data that suggests this game was ever in existence.

I think a game vs KY or IL makes great sense. KY feels like a better option in my opinion, as I feel IL has more beef with MO when it comes to football. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong on that statement as I'm basing that solely off of living in STL for a year and the vibe I got from the HS football scene.

Illinois , Michigan and Ohio all have 11-12M residents

Indiana has 6.2M and KY has 4.5M.   

IN -KY is the better matchup. Plus you have the existing carryover of the basketball rivalry

Additionally IN and KY are fighting for the same recruits

 

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7 hours ago, OldHatchetHog76 said:

Love the idea of an interstate all-star game. I actually did a project about an interstate all star game during one of my classes while getting my masters degree. Granted mine was one a much smaller scale with little actual research done (SW Indiana v. Western KY). I called it the Kentuckiana All-Star Bowl. I had it played in the Reitz Bowl due to the game being in June, but a winter all-star game would have to be played at LOS. I have a strong feeling that this sort of game was in the works to be conducted down in Evansville (but was curtailed by COVID) because I thought they stole my idea lol. Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate any data that suggests this game was ever in existence.

I think a game vs KY or IL makes great sense. KY feels like a better option in my opinion, as I feel IL has more beef with MO when it comes to football. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong on that statement as I'm basing that solely off of living in STL for a year and the vibe I got from the HS football scene.

The December timeframe works in SEC country because of weather and also early HS graduates. (January entry to college.) 
 

As far as SW Indiana, there was some talk of re-starting the Hardee’s All Star game, but this time sponsored by Midwest Football Academy. The Hardee’s game was City vs Area. Players from the 8 SIAC schools at the time vs players from PAC & Big 8. 

It was always played at UE and fairly well attended. But UE dropped football, leaving the game without a venue, and domination by the SIAC team led to dwindling interest. The last game I attended was in the late 90’s held at Princeton. The Hardee’s sponsorship had lapsed. The teams were East vs West, using US 41 as the dividing line. I don’t think it lasted much past 2000. 

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30 minutes ago, oldtimeqb said:

The Hardee’s game was City vs Area. Players from the 8 SIAC schools at the time vs players from PAC & Big 8. 

There used to be something like this in the Summer in South Bend. 4 teams from the area: South Bend City, East, West, and a team of Michigan kids. They would play two games in a day. I arranged for our crew to go over there to work one of those games one year. I figured this would be a piece of cake, low intensity, no pressure way to spend a day during the off season. Midway through the first quarter we find ourselves in a bench clearing melee when one kid spit on another. The rest of the game was brutal, one personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after another. My crew never let me forget that.

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1 hour ago, Bobref said:

There used to be something like this in the Summer in South Bend. 4 teams from the area: South Bend City, East, West, and a team of Michigan kids. They would play two games in a day. I arranged for our crew to go over there to work one of those games one year. I figured this would be a piece of cake, low intensity, no pressure way to spend a day during the off season. Midway through the first quarter we find ourselves in a bench clearing melee when one kid spit on another. The rest of the game was brutal, one personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after another. My crew never let me forget that.

But did ya get paid?

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2 hours ago, Bobref said:

There used to be something like this in the Summer in South Bend. 4 teams from the area: South Bend City, East, West, and a team of Michigan kids. They would play two games in a day. I arranged for our crew to go over there to work one of those games one year. I figured this would be a piece of cake, low intensity, no pressure way to spend a day during the off season. Midway through the first quarter we find ourselves in a bench clearing melee when one kid spit on another. The rest of the game was brutal, one personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after another. My crew never let me forget that.

This reminds me of one of the stories you told us here. 
 

You were working a college game at the time. As a wing IMSC. A skirmish broke out and the WH said for you to tell him something. 😂 

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3 hours ago, DE said:

This reminds me of one of the stories you told us here. 
 

You were working a college game at the time. As a wing IMSC. A skirmish broke out and the WH said for you to tell him something. 😂 

That was a JUCO playoff game at College of DuPage. After a bench clearing brawl precipitated by a play on my sideline, the R asked me where the out of bounds spot was, and I truthfully told him I had no idea. He told me to “Make something up … and make it look good.” The R was a guy named Tom McCabe, a long time R in the MAC.

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1 hour ago, Bobref said:

That was a JUCO playoff game at College of DuPage. After a bench clearing brawl precipitated by a play on my sideline, the R asked me where the out of bounds spot was, and I truthfully told him I had no idea. He told me to “Make something up … and make it look good.” The R was a guy named Tom McCabe, a long time R in the MAC.

Goodness.  This is the stuff I love to learn about.  Thanks again for sharing.

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