East-West Shrine Bowl canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

The 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl - a college football all-star game and scouting showcase - has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Tuesday.

"It's terribly disappointing to have to cancel this year's game, but there are so many issues involved with bringing in approximately 130 players and 25 NFL coaches from every corner of the United States and Canada," Shrine Bowl executive director Bob Roller said in a release. "It's difficult enough currently for these college teams to provide some sort of a bubble during the regular season, but our game occurs after all players have gone home for the holidays. It presented too many potential issues for this one year."

The Shrine Bowl was scheduled to take place Jan. 23, 2021.

Several past participants have gone on to star in the NFL, including Tom Brady, Brett Favre, John Elway, and Lawrence Taylor.

The Shrine Bowl will still carry on with the tradition of sending out formal invitations to players who would have been eligible to play in the 2021 game.