East-West Shrine Bowl to Be Held During 2022 NFL Pro Bowl Week; Raiders to Host

The East-West Shrine Game announced a partnership with the NFL on Tuesday and will be held as part of Pro Bowl week in Las Vegas this season.

The 2022 event will be held Thursday, Feb. 3 at the Raiders' Allegiant Stadium. Sponsored by the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the Shrine Game has been held since 1925 but was not held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The game moved to Florida in 2010 after largely being played in California for the first 85 years of existence. 

A partnership with the NFL may give some increased level of exposure to players who participate in the Shrine Game, which is played among college seniors divided into teams from the East and West. 

Getting top prospects for the Shrine Game has been difficult in recent seasons, with the Senior Bowl often taking priority among college all-star games. Steve Smith (2001) and Jimmy Garoppolo (2014) are among the most notable offensive MVPs to participate in the game, while Za'Darius Smith won the 2015 defensive MVP.