When is the Senior Bowl?
The Senior Bowl is one of the final opportunities that a college athlete has to prove himself before attempting to make the jump to the NFL, and this year it will be more important than usual. With the news that there will be no centralized draft combine like the one the NFL has every offseason, prospective NFL players will need to capitalize on other opportunities to showcase their skills.
We'll take a look at the specifics of this year's Senior Bowl, including time, location, and broadcast info.
The 2021 Senior Bowl
Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, the home of the University of South Alabama, will play host to the Reese's Senior Bowl. The game is set to kick off at 2:30 pm EST on Saturday, January 30th, and the NFL Network will have the broadcast coverage.
This year's version of the Senior Bowl does not closely resemble the event from years past, as COVID-19 has changed the way that the game operates. Generally in the week leading up to the Senior Bowl, there are activities for the players to participate in and for the fans to spectate all week.
In a normal year, there would have been a Senior Bowl Summit, and opportunities to meet and mingle with the players who will be taking the field on Saturday. Additionally, there is generally a concert and a parade that takes place the night before the game. Due to the need for social distancing, all of these events were canceled and attendance for the game will be significantly limited from normal years.
The rosters for this year's Senior Bowl are packed with talented players from all levels of college football. Almost every one of these players will be looking to turn this opportunity into a way to raise their NFL Draft stock, but for those players who do not get drafted or signed as undrafted free agents, this likely represents the last time that they will ever step on the field to play organized football.
All 32 NFL teams will have scouting personnel on-site, as most teams' draft boards will contain at least a handful of players who should be suiting up for competition on Saturday. The format of the Senior Bowl dictates that NFL coaching staffs are responsible for preparing the teams for competition. This year's Senior Bowl coaching staff features the staff of the Miami Dolphins on one side, and the staff of the Carolina Panthers on the other side.
This benefits the players greatly, as they have a chance to experience the atmosphere that comes with preparing to play a game in the same way that the pros prepare. Many players may not have experienced a coaching style like the one they will be dealing with in the lead-up to the game, and in the game itself, so this is as much of a learning experience as it is an exhibition.