The Pro Bowl is moving to Orlando and returning to an AFC vs. NFC format
The league will also be moving the Pro Bowl to Orlando, Florida, starting in 2017
By
Jared Dubin
•
1 min read
After three years of using a different system, the Pro Bowl will return in 2017 to playing a game that pits the stars from the AFC against those from the NFC, the league confirmed on Wednesday.
The last three Pro Bowls have seen a group of players from both conferences get drafted by retired NFL stars such as Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, and Michael Irvin, rather than the traditional format that had been used in years prior. The teams were also co-captained by two player representatives each. The fantasy draft was televised each year.
In another change, the league officially confirmed that the Pro Bowl will move from Honolulu, Hawaii to Orlando, Florida, as a report stated it would in mid-May.
"For us, Orlando is the new home of the Pro Bowl," NFL senior vice president of events Peter O'Reilly said, per ESPN.com.
Orlando, which will host the game at the recently-renovated Citrus Bowl, was rumored to be in the running alone with Honolulu, Houston and Sydney, Australia. The game has previously been held in Honolulu every year since 1975 with the exception of 2010 (Miami, Florida) and 2015 (Glendale, Arizona).
