Shrine All-Star Football game moves to Illinois Wesleyan

Illinois Wesleyan's Tucci Stadium will host the 2012 Shrine All-Star game. (WJBC file photo)

BLOOMINGTON – The annual Illinois High School football Shrine game is returning to Bloomington-Normal.

The 37th annual game will be held at Tucci Stadium at Illinois Wesleyan on July 14, 2012. The all-star game had been held for years in Peoria after moving from Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium during the 1990s.

IWU football coach Norm Eash considers it an honor for Wesleyan to host the game and says it should benefit recruiting for the Titans.

“I believe we have fantastic facilities and a lot of people don’t know that,” Eash said.

Tucci Stadium is the fifth-oldest college football stadium in the country. It replaced its natural grass surface with field turf last summer.

The annual East-West all-star game features high school seniors from across Illinois. Proceeds from the game benefit Shriners Hospital for Children.

Eric Stock can be reached at eric@wjbc.com.