New Mobile Group To Operate All-Star Classic
MOBILE -- The Ladd-Peebles Stadium Board announced Monday that the Mishkin Group, a Mobile-based sports marketing firm, has assumed all management, operational and marketing responsibilities for the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic football game held annually at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.
“I am delighted that the Ladd-Peebles Stadium Board has enabled the All-Star Classic to continue by reaching an agreement with the Mishkin Group to run the event,” said Milton Joyner, Chairman of the Ladd-Peebles Stadium Board, which previously operated the All-Star Classic from 1988-2008.
“In recent years, and with the upcoming addition of University of South Alabama football games at the stadium, operating and managing the All-Star Classic had become in increasing burden on the board and stadium staff to adequately support and finance the game,” Joyner said. “However, several board members, including myself, strongly felt the need to continue this marquee sporting event in our community and I feel confident that the Mishkin Group will do an outstanding job.”
In addition to expanding the game’s sponsorship and marketing bases, the Mishkin Group will also seek to develop new player, fan and charitable activities and game day events to be held in conjunction with the Classic that will be commensurate with the outstanding quality of players selected to play in the contest each year.
“The All-Star Classic is a truly unique special event, offering a celebration of the very best in high school football from these two states that are so rich in football tradition,” said Joe Mishkin, Mishkin Group President. “While featuring the absolute best in high school talent, it also offers fans the unique opportunity to see the next generation of Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and other major college and future NFL stars in one place, at one time.”
Played in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium since its inception in 1988, the All-Star Classic boasts an impressive history of annually featuring the best high school football players and top collegiate prospects from Alabama and Mississippi.
“We’re looking forward to further developing all aspects of this event, as well as our partnerships with the Alabama High School Athletic Association and the Mississippi Association of Coaches, and build on the Classic’s tremendous legacy of success first envisioned by the game’s founders and made possible for the past 21 years by the Ladd-Peebles Stadium Board,” said Vic Knight, who will serve as the game’s new Executive Director.
“Through a variety of new programs and activities, the All-Star Classic will further enhance its status as a much anticipated and meaningful event for football fans throughout both states, as well as a vital component of the Mobile area sports calendar,” Knight said. “This is a great event, started by Mobilians and supported by so many in our community over the years, that belongs right here in Mobile.”
Formerly played in June, the All-Star Classic moved to December in 2007. This year’s All-Star Classic Week in Mobile will run from December 7-12, with the game set for Saturday, December 12.
“The December game date will enable us to take advantage of the tremendous interest in these players in relation to the college football recruiting process that is reaching a focal point at that time,” Knight said. “Everything that these players do in the weeks leading up to signing day is of great interest to thousands of fans who closely follow collegiate recruiting, and the week they spend in Mobile will play an integral role in that process.”
Alabama leads the all-time series against its Mississippi counterparts with 15 victories in the 22 games, including last December’s 28-3 win, as St. Paul’s quarterback A.J. McCarron, a University of Alabama signee, earned Alabama MVP honors with two TD passes.
“The AHSAA is extremely grateful to Paul Christopher and the original Ladd Stadium/Mobile All-Star game founders who produced the very best high school All-Star game in the nation for 21 years,” said Steve Savarese, Executive Director of the AHSAA which works in conjunction with the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association to oversee the Alabama squad in the game.
“As we progress into a new era under the direction of Vic Knight and the Mishkin group, along with the Ladd-Peebles Stadium Board, the AHSAA is extremely excited about seeing this game continue to develop to the next level,” Savarese said.
An all-time roster of the game’s participants reads like a veritable “Who’s Who” of the best home-grown football talent from Alabama and Mississippi over the past 21 years, many of whom have gone on to enjoy tremendous success at both the NCAA and NFL levels.
In addition to featuring a plethora of future All-SEC and All-American performers over the years, a host of upcoming NFL stars have also played in the contes, including 16 first-round draft picks. That impressive group includes the likes of Antonio Langham, Jason Campbell, John Copeland, Deuce McAllister, Willie Anderson, Jamarcus Russell, Cadillac Williams and former Alabama All-American Andre Smith, the sixth player chosen in the 2009 NFL Draft.
“The Mississippi Association of Coaches is so proud to be a part of this prestigious sports event,” Mississippi Association of Coaches Executive Director Johnny Mims said. “The founding fathers had such great vision and with the leadership of Paul Christopher, it grew to even greater heights. Now that the baton has been passed to Vic Knight and the Mishkin Group, the MAC looks forward to even greater developments in the game and its events.”
Recent game rosters have also featured several current major college stars such as 2008 Freshman All-American wide receivers Julio Jones of Alabama and Deandre Brown of Southern Miss.
In addition to its new role with the All-Star Classic, the Mishkin Group has also secured the exclusive marketing rights to Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Businesses interested in purchasing permanent signage and other marketing opportunities at the stadium throughout the 2009 football season may contact the Mishkin Group at 344-2000.
The Mishkin Group will also develop extensive new websites for both Ladd-Peebles Stadium and the All-Star Classic.
“Ladd-Peebles Stadium will be the home of over 20 football games this fall, from numerous area high school games to seven University of South Alabama football games, as well as special events such as the Gulf Coast Classic, the All-Star Classic and the GMAC Bowl,” said Mishkin. “It offers a tremendous advertising and marketing venue for businesses desiring to reach the thousands of fans throughout the Gulf Coast who will pass through its gates this year.”