Herbstreit unlikely in '09 | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com
The Kirk Herbstreit football event probably will not include Cincinnati teams or venues for the 2009 prep football season, but event organizers hope to return in 2010.
Jim Herbstreit, father of Kirk and primary organizer of game matchups, said the 2009 event tentatively will include four games in Columbus (Ohio Stadium) and four in Texas. This past season, there were 17 Herbstreit games at three sites - Cincinnati?s Paul Brown Stadium, Canton Fawcett Stadium, and Texas Stadium in Dallas - with the event officially named the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series.
?I?m probably not going to have any Cincinnati teams in this year?s event,? Jim Herbstreit said Wednesday. ?I would love to come back in 2010.?
The Herbstreit event began in 2005 and has had a distinctly Cincinnati flavor, with local powers such as Colerain, Elder, St. Xavier and Moeller becoming annual participants.
This year, with issues including the weak economy and television interests asking the Herbstreit events to adjust their schedules, the Herbstreit is downsizing. Most of the major Cincinnati programs have opted out of the Herbstreit, largely because they had their own scheduling issues to address.
Most Cincinnati teams did not want to move the Herbstreit games from Week 2 to Week 1 because most play in the season-opening Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown, which has been played the past 11 years locally.
Recent developments also included the possibility of an Elder-Colerain game in Week 2 for this season, with ESPN possibly to televise the matchup on Labor Day weekend (Sunday, Sept. 6).
That usually is the Herbstreit week, but this year the Herbstreit event probably will be a week earlier.
Dan Jones of Chicago-based Intersport, which owns and promotes the Herbstreit event, said he still has invitations out to some Cincinnati schools for the 2009 event. Jones declined to name the schools.
?Whether they?re likely to accept, I can?t say,? Jones said. ?We?re getting closer on this year?s event, but but we aren?t at a place where we can announce teams or cities or dates.?