Pro Bowl in 2010 to be played in Miami

Dec 30, 2008 - 9:34 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The NFL announced Tuesday the 2010 Pro Bowl will be staged at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, one week prior to Super Bowl XLIV.

The game is scheduled to take place on January 31, 2010. It will mark the first time the Pro Bowl will be played prior to the Super Bowl.

The site and date of Pro Bowl games after 2010 will be determined at a later date and will include playing the game on a rotating basis in Honolulu, Hawaii, host of the annual game since 1980.

"We are looking at alternatives to strengthen the Pro Bowl," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We will will continue to work with the players to make it a great event and will evaluate this concept after the 2010 Pro Bowl."

The initiative to experiment with the Pro Bowl schedule and location had been discussed over the past two years with club owners, the Players' Association and the NFL Player Advisory Council.

It won't be South Florida's first Pro Bowl: the 1975 game took place in Miami's Orange Bowl, during a period when the site rotated annually.

"Moving the Pro Bowl to the Sunday prior to the Super Bowl can add even more excitement to Super Bowl week, one of the most anticipated weeks of the year," said Frank Supovitz, the NFL's senior vice president of events. "Taking the Pro Bowl to new locations can showcase our top players to more fans around the country. We are also in discussions with key leaders in Hawaii to continue our partnership with the State of Hawaii, which has embraced the Pro Bowl for 30 years."