Pro Bowl moved to Feb. 9

Advertiser Staff

The NFL Pro Bowl, which has been played on a Sunday since it came to Hawai'i in 1980, will be played on a Saturday in 2002.

The game will be played Feb. 9 at 11:30 a.m., according to Eddie Hayashi, Aloha Stadium general manager.

The game was originally scheduled for Feb. 3, but the Sept. 11 attacks pushed it back.

The attacks postponed a week of NFL games, which pushed back the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl, originally scheduled for Jan. 27, will be played Feb. 3 in New Orleans.

Hayashi and other Aloha Stadium officials were told of the change during a meeting yesterday.

Hayashi said last month that Aloha Stadium would be available on that date and called the Pro Bowl "the premiere event for the whole state."

The Pro Bowl has been sold out at the 50,000-seat stadium in all but one year.

TV viewership for the game, however, has been declining. The 2002 game will face competition from the Winter Olympics, which starts Feb. 8.

The NFL in August announced it would introduce premium seating and cut ticket prices for other seats.

The cost of more than 21,000 seats will be reduced, including all non-loge end zone tickets that will cost $20.

Meanwhile, the Hula Bowl Maui game will keep its date, Saturday, Feb. 2. Game time will be 3 p.m.

The NFL announced a partnership with the Hula Bowl Maui in June. The original plan called for the Hula Bowl to be played the day before the Pro Bowl.