A High School Football Bowl National Tournament on the way?

As a discussion item coming up at the next Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors meeting on Monday, April 28, is a possible High School Football Bowl Series.

The proposed High School Football Bowl Series is being proposed by Paragon Marketing, which currently runs the National High School Invite tournament in Basketball in which Florida has been a participant in over the past few years.

The concept of the proposed High School Football Bowl series would feature four of the top teams in the nation that would be selected based upon those eligible to play. National rankings would be evaluated to also determine what teams would be possibly invited.

The proposed series would take place after the traditional high school football season, likely sometime in January.

Location of where a tournament would be held at hasn’t been decided, but could either be at one of the four schools that is selected based upon ranking or a neutral site. Location of teams selected would also play a role in determine the location of the proposed tournament.

As such all games would be nationally televised, very likely on ESPN, according to documents the FHSAA has released on its website in advance of the Board of Directors meeting. Paragon and ESPN have been partners in broadcasting high school sports since 2002, according to the documents.

Compensation seems to be one thing that could lure the FHSAA into allowing Florida to being one of four states at minimum that would participate.

Paragon, would pay the FHSAA and other state athletic associations that agree to participate a $10,000 participation fee. However, if a team from a respective state participates, that association would get a $40,000 bonus from Paragon. That would likely provide the association alone in $50,000 money given Florida’s dominance of having several Top 5 or Top 10 teams nationally in almost any given year which would likely place one team alone into the proposed tournament.

For high school teams that are selected to participate compensation would include an all-expense paid trip for a traveling party up to 75 people that includes players, coaches, athletic trainers, staff and administration from each program. Plus they would receive a $10,000 product voucher from the athletic shoe and apparel companies or sporting goods retail store or a $5,000 cash fee at Paragon’s discretion.

There will be an educational component that goes along with the proposed tournament, including but not limited to educational field trips for student-athletes in the host city, a motivational speaker at the kick-off banquet and travel and internship opportunities involving marketing, event management, television production and journalism at the Bowl Game for students at each participating high school.

The FHSAA could vote on this proposal from Paragon at the June Board of Directors meeting, if interest warrants from the meeting on Monday, according to FHSAA documents.

A set date for the High School Football Series to launch has not been decided upon as of this time as the planning stages are still on going.

The Varsity Message Board: Discuss your thoughts on the proposed High School Football Bowl Series