“Talking to Maryland, we just saw their stock rising in terms of talent,” he said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The proximity to Hershey was part of the determining factor, too. But to be honest, there is some pretty good talent coming out of Maryland now compared to years ago.”
Three words to that: Are you nuts?
Once a late-summer staple in most states, waning crowds, not playing to avoid potential injury and all-star worthy players who graduate early to enroll in college have hit all-star football games hard in recent years. Now, many of these games are played in January.
Nothing against Maryland’s growing talent level, but Ohio has won the last four Big 33 games, including 24-21 in overtime last June.
Former OHSFCA president Bill Albright was Ohio’s head coach in that win. He has a different spin on why the Big 33 didn’t renew a contract with Ohio and instead signed a five-year deal with neighboring Maryland.
“I’m sure it’s probably financial,” said Albright after leading playoff-bound Midview (near Cleveland) in practice on Monday. “I’m sure Maryland will be coming over (to play) for less, if nothing at all.”
The Big 33 game has been in existence for 55 years. Several states have served as Pennsylvania’s opponent, including Maryland, U.S. and Texas stars. Ohio had been back in the Big 33 game since 1993.
Albright said Ohio players and coaches were asked to purchase $600 program ads to help cover costs of transportation, lodging and meals for the weekend. He said Ohio members paid for 28 ads. Some of that money was returned to the OHSFCA for its scholarship fund, but not as much as negotiated.
Albright didn’t sense any underlying financial friction from Big 33 officials last June. He does now.
“I’m sure they were feeling a financial crunch and maybe for $6,000-7,000, they got a better deal from Maryland,” he said. “Bottom line, that’s what it all probably came down to, $5,000-7,000. It’s too bad.”
Several years ago the Big 33 moved its game to the same June weekend as Ohio’s North/South all-star game. It was hoped that the Big 33 game would draw Ohio’s better players and it did. One year the North/South game didn’t feature any Ohio State University recruits, unfathomable for that game.
In response, the North/South game was moved from Canton to Columbus and anchored on the weekend of OSU’s spring game. The North/South game, also plagued by dwindling attendance and rising costs, is now played at Ohio Stadium.
Albright said the OHSFCA will address the profile of the North/South game at its December meeting rather than seek another contest to replace its Big 33 commitment.
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “I felt blind-sided by this.
“From all the coaches I’ve spoken with, we want to make our all-star game bigger and better. We just need to concentrate on that.”
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