Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game Day of Champions and Hillsborough County All-Star High School Football Game Returns December 14

TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Sports Commission, in conjunction with Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are excited to announce a full slate of local youth football programming on Saturday, December 14 at Raymond James Stadium (RJS). The day will kick off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game Day of Champions (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.), before giving way to a showcase many of Hillsborough County's top seniors at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Hillsborough County All-Star High School Football Game (6:00 p.m.). Entry to Game Day of Champions and the High School All-Star Game is $5 each. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game Day of Champions, celebrating its 25th anniversary (established in 1995), is an annual football event featuring four exhibition-style games between the best youth football teams in Hillsborough County. The vision for Game Day of Champions is to reward youth football players, following a successful league campaign, with the opportunity to play a game on the same field as their hometown heroes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As part of their experience, all players, coaches and personnel from those selected youth football teams are invited to Raymond James Stadium for the day, where they are taken to the Pirate Ship for pictures, the locker rooms to change, before being introduced out of their respective tunnels by name in front of their families, friends and spectators.

Traditionally, ages range from 8-14 years old with a different division being selected for each of the contests throughout the day. The Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Hillsborough County work hand-in-hand with the various youth football organizations to find compelling matchups between their respective Super Bowl champions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all involved.

Game Day of Champions represents the only time during the year that teams from one league are paired up against teams from other youth football organizations.

Youth football leagues involved with Game Day of Champions:

• Tampa Bay Youth Football League
• Tri-County Youth Football & Cheerleading Conference
• Mid-Florida Football & Cheerleading Conference

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Hillsborough County All-Star High School Football Game, which is celebrating its 21st annual contest, is set to kickoff at 6:00 p.m. First hosted in 1999, the event aims to recognize outstanding senior football players and cheerleaders throughout the entire county by providing the unique opportunity to participate under the lights of Raymond James Stadium.

The players competing in the All-Star Game are selected by their respective high school coaches, earning them the chance to compete one final time in the 2019 season.

The East team will be led by Matt Kitchie of Lennard High School, while Duayne Thomas from Blake High School will represent the West squad.

Full rosters will be announced Thursday, December 12.

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission and Hillsborough County proudly hosts 12 scholarship-exposure generating events annually for prospective student-athletes in the Hillsborough County region.

For more information about the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and its upcoming events, visit TampaBaySports.org, or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @SportsTampaBay.