Richardson Stadium to host upcoming OFSAA Football Bowl Festivals
Kingston is set to become a hub of high school football action in 2020 and 2021, according to an announcement made on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019.
Kingston and Area Secondary School Athletic Association (KASSAA), along with with Queen’s University and Tourism Kingston announced today that Kingston has been selected to host the 2020 and 2021 Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association’s (OFSAA) Football Bowl Festival. The OFSAA Bowl Festival features nine football bowl games with 18 teams from across the province. The three-day festival will bring over 800 players and 200 coaches and support staff to the region during the last full week of November in both 2020 and 2021. The games will be held at George Richardson Memorial Stadium on Queen’s west campus and will be supported by Queen’s Athletics and Recreation and the Gaels’ Football team.
“I am very excited to work with a committee that includes representation from two school boards, the community, and Queen’s University,” said Co-Chair Mike Doyle, Head Coach for the Frontenac Falcons. “In particular, Tim Pendergast and I have faced each other countless times on opposing sidelines; it will be great to be on the same team for once. The OFSAA Football Bowl Series will give the best football teams in the province a chance to see what Kingston and Queen’s University have to offer. I can’t wait to see how our community embraces this event.”
KASSAA, an association under EOSSAA and OFSAA, is made up of 13 secondary schools and has had a rich tradition of offering high school football to the local area. The OFSAA Bowl Festival will be held during the 124th and 125th anniversaries of the beginning of high school football in Kingston.
“After having the good fortune of participating in OFSAA championships as a player, parent, and coach, I am proud to help bring this level of championship to the great city of Kingston,” said Co-Chair Tim Pendergast, Head Coach of the Holy Cross Crusaders. “This venue will expose participants to the incredible facilities of Queen’s University and the championship will be run by an amazing group of organizers including Mike Doyle and a large number of well-respected football coaches eager to promote Kingston football.”
The events will also help mark the 70th anniversary of the association between high school football and Queen’s University, as George Richardson Stadium hosted the first night game between high schools in 1949.
“We are extremely excited to be hosting this elite event at the newly revitalized Richardson Stadium again. It is a great opportunity to showcase Queen’s University Athletics facilities,” said Jeff Downie, Director of Business Development and Operations for Queen’s Athletics.
The history of football at Queen’s stretches all the way back to 1882. George Richardson Stadium was built on its original site in 1921, and moved to its present site in 1971. The OFSAA Bowl Festival will also help to mark the 100th anniversary of the original site and the 50th anniversary of the west campus site.
The competing teams will come from all of the OFSAA Associations that offer football, from Northern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, Western Ontario, Golden Horseshoe, Toronto District, Georgian Bay, York Region, Central Ontario, National Capital Region, Region of Peel, North Western Ontario, Lakeshore, and Eastern Ontario.
“We are delighted to see football back on the sport calendar in 2020 and 2021,” said Megan Knott, Executive Director of Tourism Kingston. “Kingston recently hosted the 2019 Football Canada Cup in partnership with Queen’s University. We know that the OFSAA Football Festival will be another success for our football community.”