Big 33 game to move up

4/15/2005

NCAA rules changes are prompting Big 33 officials to play the summertime all-star high school football game earlier in future years.

This year s Ohio-vs.-Pennsylvania game in Hershey, Pa., is set for July 23, but next year s game is tentatively scheduled for June 17.

Big 33 executive director Mickey Minnich said college coaches told him they will try to get as many incoming freshman as possible into summer school to give them a jump on their academics. That could mean a diluted talent pool for the Big 33 game.

We don t have much of a choice if we want to get the best players in the state, Minnich said. I know we could be running into some [high school] graduations with that date, but we ve pretty much got to have it then because most summer sessions at colleges start that following week.