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The rosters for the 86th East-West Shrine Game are complete. The East Team includes UCF's own Bruce Miller & Jah Reid. Miller & Reid both served as team captains this year as UCF went 11-3, won the Conf. USA Championship, and defeated Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
In addition to the two UCF standouts, 88 of the best college seniors from around the country have committed to play in the game. Some of the most notable players include: Tyrod Taylor - Virginia Tech's electrifying quarterback who led the Hokies to an ACC Championship and an Orange Bowl berth; Scott Tolzien - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner who quarterbacked Wisconsin to a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance; Jeff Maehl - Oregon's standout wide receiver who led all receivers with 9 catches and 133 yards in the Duck's last second loss in the BCS National Championship; Ryan Whalen - Stanford's leading wide receiver helped the Cardinal to a Orange Bowl victory; and Ricky Dobbs - Navy's dual threat quarterback holds the NCAA record for most rushing touchdowns (41) by a quarterback in back-to back years.
Dan Reeves & Wade Phillips will coach the game, which will be played at the Citrus Bowl on Jan 22. Reeves & Phillips both have impressive records as NFL coaches and collectively support the true purpose of the Game, which is to raise funds and awareness for Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The game comes to Orlando thanks to the efforts of Central Florida Sports Commission, Florida Citrus Sports, Visit Orlando, and the Florida Sports Foundation. The Game will kick off at 4pm, and tickets start as low as $5. Click HERE to get yours today! | |
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KEEP UP WITH US!
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A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM SAM
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The new year is here and we're off and running! While we are proud of the 156,000 hotel room nights and $97 million in economic impact last year, we are working hard to have another great year as we lead the sports tourism segment of our region's economy.
It all starts in January with some of the best college seniors to Orlando to play in the 86th Annual East-West Shrine Game. Check out the featured article section for more information, and make sure to join us for this great game that is quickly becoming part of the annual football landscape in Orlando.
With 2011 upon us, preparation for the spring events has kicked into high gear! We are excited about the several new and returning events slated for the coming months including USASA Veteran's Cup soccer tournament, NCAA Tennis DII Championship, FHSAA Softball Finals, NEC Men and Women's Golf Championships, and Orlando Cup International Soccer Tournament. We hope to provide many more new event prospects for our community this year, so read about our recent activity below.
Happy New Year! |
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Best Regards,
Sam Stark
President/CEO
Central Florida Sports Commission |
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 | | ECONOMIC IMPACT
The Central Florida Sports Commission serves the counties of Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia, as well as the City of Orlando, by strategically soliciting, creating, and supporting marquis sports-related events and businesses that enhance our community's economy.
Annual Totals as of November, 2010
Hotel Room Nights - 107,668
Tax Recovery - $1,230,106.17 Economic Impact - $79,192,217.88
Number of Participants - 60,722
Number of Spectators - 97,375 Number of Events - 81 |
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| Go Wildcats! | |
In the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere, Matt Johnson was already the best that there was. But Wildcats everywhere shared that feeling with the world by hitting the polls hard at Heritage Sports Radio Network's fan poll for HBCU National Player of the Year, coming out on top with the naming of Matt Johnson for the national honor.
Johnson led the Wildcats to a program-best 10-2 season and a share of the 2010 MEAC Championship. He led the MEAC in total offense with 2,514 total yards and passing average, connecting on 65.1 percent of his passes. Johnson also led the Wildcats in rushing with 670 yards on 128 carries and seven touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the nation in passing efficiency and 22nd in total offense. The senior Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native was selected as the MEAC's Offensive Player of the Week five times this season, which led him to also be named MEAC Offensive Player of the Year.
We'll miss him, but look forward to another great Wildcat season next year! |
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| New Business In Seminole | |
The Sports Commission, Seminole County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Edgewater High School are in the preliminary process of starting our bid to bring the FHSAA Tennis Finals back to Seminole County for 2012 and 2013. Seminole County has been the benefactor of hosting the Boys & Girls 1A - 4A Tennis Finals since 2008, so our collective goal is retain this important piece of business for future years. This coming April will mark the end of our current 3 year agreement with the FHSAA. Proposals are due this coming spring to the FHSAA, so stay tuned for more details on the FHSAA Tennis Finals in future impact reports. |
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Upcoming Events
Geer up for the Daytona 500! Forty-three of the best stock car drivers in the world will compete in "The Great American Race," which is NASCAR's biggest, richest and most prestigious event. The Goodyear tire test on December 15, 2010 was the first action on the new surface. It'll be a historic moment in the history of Daytona International Speedway when the stars of NASCAR return to the "World Center of Racing" for the Speedweeks 2011 and the 53rd annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20 and race on the new asphalt. For ticket and Race information click HERE.
 And don't forget about the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which will be held March 21-27 at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge. The tournament, one of the premiere-event jewels on the PGA Tour, annually attracts one of the strongest fields of the season to one of the circuit's finest courses. Tickets and tournament information can be found HERE.
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| | Fishing in Osceola
The 2011 edition of the Bass Pro Shops Opens will usher in the season with a Jan. 20-22 Bassmaster Southern Open event on Florida's Lake Tohopekaliga, just miles from BASS' headquarters in Celebration. The Kissimmee-based event will mark the 13th BASS event on Toho. The popular Open tournament structure will again feature three qualifying series in a Southern, Central and Northern Division. Each Division is set for three events with Open tournaments stretching from January to September and encompassing nine different states, including Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Oklahoma and New York. For more information on the Opens, click HERE. |
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| Go Knights! | |
The UCF women's golf team will host the fifth-annual UCF Challenge, February 12 - 15 at the RedTail Golf Club in Sorrento. The UCF Challenge returns to the RedTail course for the fourth consecutive year after the inaugural 2007 event was played at the Villas of Grand Cypress. In each of the past three years, the eventual national champion has participated in the UCF Challenge (Duke in 2007, USC in 2008, and Arizona State in 2009).
Play begins with an 8 a.m. shotgun start that will include two rounds of play. The final round will be a 9 a.m. shotgun start to complete the 54 holes of play at the par-72, 6,301-yard course.
Fans at RedTail will see a diverse group competing with the school rosters featuring student-athletes from 24 different states and 17 countries on all six inhabited continents. We will keep you posted on the results of the tournament next month. |
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