Last year appeared to be quite the success for the city of Orlando as they have worked with the NFL to have the Pro Bowl return to the city in 2019. On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that the all-star game, with the best players from both AFC and NFC, is heading back to Central Florida after moving there from Hawaii two years ago.
Florida Citrus Sports , by way of WESH 2 News , reported that officials have confirmed the Pro Bowl will be back in Orlando and take place on Jan. 27, 2019. The game will take place one week before Super Bowl LIII which will be played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Feb. 3, 2019.
In the week leading up to the Pro Bowl, players and coaches went to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World for practices and events. Most of those practices were open to the public and brought in a lot of out-of-state fans to see their favorite players and hope for a chance to meet some of them.
It took a little while for the official word to start making its way online on Tuesday, but an image of some important dates for the 2018-2019 NFL season confirmed it.
Here’s a look at the @NFL key dates that were released today and they have the #ProBowl returning to #Orlando on January 27th. pic.twitter.com/J1pfqNeI30
— Christian Bruey (@ChristianBruey) June 19, 2018
Looks like the @nfl Pro Bowl will be coming back to Orlando in 2019–> Current list of 2018-19 NFL Important Dates ?? @MyNews13 @SpecSports360 pic.twitter.com/dmInlnlQQR
— Despina (@DespinaBarton) June 19, 2018
The game will once again be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, but no further details have been announced.
The history of the Pro Bowl is one that goes back many decades and the game has had a number of changes throughout time. From 1938 through 1942, it was called the NFL All-Star Game before having its name changed to the Pro Bowl in 1950.
From 1950, the Pro Bowl was played strictly in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and had the two teams split up with the best players from the league. In 1970, the NFL moved to the AFC vs. NFC format and eventually moved to Aloha Stadium in 1979 which ended up being its home until 2015.
There were only two change-ups during that time with the 2010 game taking place at Sun Life Stadium and the 2014 contest at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Many thought the NFL may take it on the road again, but now, it’s found a home in Orlando for three years in a row.
The @NFL #ProBowl will be coming back to Orlando in 2019 at Camping World Stadium on January 27th. #Fox35
— Adam Shadoff FOX 35 (@FOX35Adam) June 19, 2018
With Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and so much more nearby, the city of Orlando is a great place for NFL players to bring their families and spend a little time after the season. The Pro Bowl has certainly helped the city in the last two years as it brought in around $50 million in revenue. It appears as if the NFL and Central Florida have formed a good partnership and it’s also good for the locals who are always up for some professional football action.
