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Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game Taking A Year Off

Yesterday, I woke up to a few tweets explaining that the Texas vs. Nation Game (which was called The NFLPA Game in 2011) has been cancelled until 2013.  The one-year hiatus is claimed to be the result of stadium construction.  Besides Pro Days and the NFL Scouting Combine, college football all-star games are excellent venues for graduating seniors to show off their skills in front of NFL scouts.  This coming off-season, agents will not be focusing on placing their clients in the Texas vs. Nation Game, but there may be some worthy alternatives.

Historically, the Senior Bowl has provided scouts with the best senior talent.  The Senior Bowl is followed by the Shrine Game.  The Texas vs. Nation Game, was known as the third best option, pitting some of the best seniors from Texas against seniors from the rest of the United States.  Neil Stratton of InsideTheLeague.com believes that an Arizona-based all-star game co-owned by former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach could take the place of Texas vs. Nation Game as the next best opportunity for players not invited to the Senior Bowl or the Shrine Game.  Last year, the Arizona game was called the Eastham Energy College All-Star Game, but with a new sponsor (the Casino Del Sol resort), expect a new name for the game.

Further, Justin VanFulpen, who has experience working for the Texas vs. Nation Game, tweeted that there will be a new college football all-star game announcement this Friday.  Perhaps that new game will be separate from the aforementioned Arizona game and will actually be a more desirable destination for college seniors.  Time will tell.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.