Kansas Shrine Bowl will be played next month

TOPEKA, Kan. — There was a serious doubt that the 47th Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl Game was not going to be played in 2020, but Shrine Bowl Executive Director B.J. Harris made a big announcement on Friday afternoon. The game will be played as originally scheduled on July 18 in Topeka.

This year’s game was in danger due to the spread of the COVID-19. Washburn University, the original host, closed its campus for the summer on May 5, and would not let the game be played inside of Yager Stadium. 

The game scheduled for next month will now be played just two miles away from the Washburn University campus at Hummer Sports Park.

“While health and safety concerns are still a factor, we are excited to have a new venue and are increasingly hopeful we will be playing football on July 18,” Harris said in a Friday news release. “Hummer Sports Complex is an amazing facility, and their staff and support will be a tremendous asset.”

Since things are changing on a daily basis, the Shrine Bowl committee is working with the Shawnee County COVID-19 Task Force, Harris said in the release, and monitoring updates.

There will not be the usual Kansas Masonic All-Star Marching Band, instead there will be a “virtual band”. The appreciation banquet has been canceled. Cheer camp has been shortened. The parade and football combine are still on as scheduled, but those events are at risk, too.

“We remain fully aware that additional changes and disruptions could occur as we continue to plan for our event, and we encourage our fans and supporters to remain engaged and flexible,” Harris said. “Our fundraiser will only move forward with the support and guidance of local authorities. We trust their leadership and hope to execute a quality event on July 18.”