Big 33 Football Classic

History

Contests currently pit players from Pennsylvania against players from Maryland, but opponents in the past have also included players from Ohio and Texas. While most earlier games were held at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the game is now played at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.

No Super Bowl has ever been contested without a Big 33 alumnus.

Roster makeup

While the game was originally played with the best 33 players in each state (hence its name), the organizers added a 34th player to give kickers a chance to be separate of the 33 count as to give one more non-kicker a chance to be named to the Big 33. Thus, there are 34 players from each state who are invited to play in this game on the original roster. If there are players that are selected are unable to play, the staff of the team and the Big 33 will select other players to fill their places on the roster.

Historical notes

In 2006, the game was moved from mid-to-late July to mid-to-late June due to the NCAA rule changes that made some coaches prohibit many players from these teams from playing in the game due to the closeness of the upcoming summer practices.

In October 2012, it was announced that Pennsylvania had dropped Ohio from the Big 33 game and replaced them with Maryland.

Game-related activities

A wide variety of activities take place on the weekend of the game, typically in June or July. These activities include cheerleading exhibitions, scholarship presentations, youth clinics, and visits by the players to local hospitals, the Boys & Girls Club and other charities. Over $2 million in academic scholarships have been awarded as a result of the game and its sponsors. Each team has its own host families who host a player. The Ohio players arrive in Hershey and meet their host families Friday night (one week and a day before the game) and the Pennsylvania players arrive in Hershey and meet their host families on Saturday at the kickoff picnic that includes the host families and cheerleaders. The players visit hospitals and receive a "Buddy". Many of the players keep ties with their host families while in college and throughout their careers and the event is a very family-like event.

Notable alumni

References

References

1. https://www.marylandfootballcoachesassociation.com/https-www-marylandfootballcoachesassociation-com-the-big-33-all-star-game-big-33big-33-newn-31-27-thriller/
2. https://big33.org/the-game/alumni/super-bowl/
3. Houser, Ben. (4 August 2009). "E:60: Prep pipeline to the Super Bowl".
4. "- YouTube".
5. Popchock, Matt. (15 June 2011). ""Mr. High School Sports" - Big 33 PA Roster Notes".
6. "Big 33 Pennsylvania 1997 Brett Veach Football Card, cards".
7. Groller, Keith. (July 23, 1999). "Coach's Choice * Whitehall High School's Didn't Make The All-state Team But There Was No Way Coach Rich Sniscak Was Not Going To Let The Quarterback Not Make The Big 33 Team.". mcall.com.
8. (February 18, 2005). "Ohio Big 33 Game Roster".
9. (June 19, 2010). "Big 33 Football Classic rosters". cantonrep.com.
10. "Joel Heath". msuspartans.com.
11. Epler, Eric, F.. (January 8, 2012). "Big 33 roster has Mid-Penn Conference, District 3 covered". highschoolsports.pennlive.com.
12. Markol, Drew. (March 3, 2022). "La Salle High's Sam Brown and Abdul Carter named to Big 33 Classic". [[Bucks County Courier Times]].