2009 Bowl (January 02)

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The Offense-Defense All-American Bowl , one of the elite high school all-star football games in the nation, is relocating from the Orange Bowl in Miami to the Myrtle Beach area in 2009, Offense-Defense Sports president Rick Whittier announced on Thursday, May 8.

The Offense-Defense All-American Bowl, featuring 88 of the best high school seniors in the country , will be held Jan. 2, 2009, at Coastal Carolina University's Brooks Stadium. The game will be nationally televised by the Fox College Sports Network and selected Fox Sports affiliates throughout the country.

The 2008 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl was the last game played at the Orange Bowl before its demolition, but O-D Sports officials didn't have to look far for a new home site. With the company's headquarters in Myrtle Beach, it made sense and good business sense to hold the game there.

"Of all the locations and venues that were available to us, none made a better fit than the Grand Strand and Coastal Carolina University,'' Whittier said. "It's a growing community that has been supportive of our efforts and it's popular destination that will raise the profile of our game and our All-Americans.''

"Our game will be good for the Grand Strand by bringing exposure and visitors to the beach at a time when tourism is slow,'' Whittier added. "We hope to put on a showcase the community can be proud of and will embrace for years to come, just as fans can follow these players' careers for years to come.''

The players are selected for the game from the Offense-Defense Top 100 list - a national ranking system identifying the top players in the country. The O-D Top 100 is so respected that Sports Illustrated signed a two-year agreement for exclusive use of the ranking in its publications.

The players and their families will arrive in Myrtle Beach after Christmas and spend the week practicing and sightseeing on the Strand before the game. The O-D All-American Bowl takes place after the Beach Ball Classic, one of the top high school basketball tournaments in the country.

Efforts are under way to host a national golf tournament and cheerleading competition to help promote the Grand Strand's sports tourism industry. Plans call for the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 2 to be designated an "All-American Sports Week'' in Myrtle Beach, which SI has named an "All-American Sports Town.''

"The Offense-Defense All-American Bowl will increase the number of visitors and the visibility of the Grand Strand,'' said Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president Brad Dean. "With the bowl game, the Beach Ball Classic and some other events that are in the works, this has the potential to be an All-American Sports Showcase that will make the Grand Strand a mecca for high school athletics.''