Global Football President Patrick Steenberge will be a guest of the CONADEIP College American football organization in Mexico when he visits Monterrey this weekend to plan the fifth annual Tazón de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars), the 15th annual post-season game in Mexico for NCAA Division III stars.
Steenberge will attend the hotly anticipated Friday night game between Tec de Monterrey, the champions of CONADEIP and the UANL Tigres, champions of ONEFA and cross-town rival, on the Tec de Monterrey campus.
In December the NCAA Division III all-star roster known collectively as Team Stars & Stripes will again face the CONADEIP All-Stars in December, in this same stadium.
“I am always eager to return to Mexico to plan events with my friends there who are so dedicated to their student athletes and providing unique opportunities for them,” said Steenberge. “The chance to plan for the Tazon and attend this huge pre-season Bowl game in Monterrey will make it especially interesting, as they have not played one another since 2007 when the ONEFA split into two leagues. I am sure it will be a dramatic game, and set the stage for our Team Stars & Stripes match there on December 21.”
In 2012, the Americans scored 15 unanswered points in the second quarter and went on to defeat the CONADEIP All-Stars 32-15 at Fortaleza de Azul in Guadalajara. The Americans evened the series at 2-2 against the Mexican hosts and won on the head-coaching debut of Don DeWaard of Central (Iowa) College.
De Waard, the defensive coordinator at Central, is a veteran of previous Tazón de Estrellas and its predecessor the Aztec Bowl. Last year he took over the head coaching responsibilities from former Weidner College head coach Bill Manlove, who was at the helm from 2009 to 2011.
The Team Stars & Stripes roster will again be selected from graduating college seniors at the D-III level who will travel to Monterrey for a combination of two-a-day practices with an opportunity to explore the local region before the Saturday game.
The Tazón de Estrellas and its forerunner the Aztec Bowl have produced a series of exciting games and established a fierce but friendly rivalry between the Americans and Mexicans. The Tec Monterrey All-Stars won 24-12 in 2009 before Team Stars & Stripes leveled the series with a 48-7 victory in Toluca in 2010 and the CONADEIP All-Stars won by a margin of 45-27 in 2011. It was the turn of the Americans to triumph in 2012.
The Tazón de Estrellas is the focal point for the Global Football Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit initiative, which assists athletes in meeting the expenses associated with traveling overseas to realize their dreams of competing against other American football enthusiasts and experiencing different cultures. The foundation allows potential benefactors to make charitable donations to offset costs that might otherwise prevent the student athletes from undertaking the trip of a lifetime. To inquire about making a donation to the Global Football Foundation to assist student-athletes, please contact Patrick Steenberge at Patrick@GlobalFootball.com or 817-219-7274.
Global Football-organized Tazón de Estrellas (2009-2011) and Aztec Bowls (1997-2007)
Tazón de Estrellas
2012: Team Stars & Stripes 32 CONADEIP All Stars 15
December 15, 2012 – La Fortaleza Azul, Guadalajara
2011: Team Stars & Stripes 27 CONADEIP All Stars 45
December 17, 2011 – El Tempo del Dolor, Puebla
2010: Team Stars & Stripes 48 CONADEIP All Stars 7
December 18, 2010 – La Congeladora, Toluca
2009: Team Stars & Stripes 12 Tec Monterrey All Stars 24
December 19, 2009 – Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico, Mexico City
Aztec Bowl
2007: USA 37 Mexico 19 December 8, 2007 – Estadio Olimpico Universitario, Chihuahua
2006: USA 28 Mexico 7 December 16, 2006 – Estadio Victoria, Aguascalientes
2005: USA 53 Mexico 15 December 17, 2005 – Estadio Chivo Cordoba, Toluca
2004: USA 23 Mexico 3 December 11, 2004 – Estadio Cancun 86, Cancun
2003: Mexico 34 USA 31 December 13, 2003 – Estadio Cancun 86, Cancun
2002: USA 15 Mexico 9 December 14, 2002 – Estadio Infierno Azul, Torreon
2001: USA 37 Mexico 5 December 15, 2001 – Estadio Olimpico, Saltillo
2000: USA 27 Mexico 26 December 15, 2000 – Estadio Alvarado, Merida
1999: USA 44 Mexico 13 December 18, 1999 – Estadio Wilfredo Massieu, Mexico City
1998: USA 40 Mexico 13 December 12, 1998 – Estadio Universitario, Monterrey
1997: USA 42 Mexico 41 December 20, 1997 – Estadio Chivo Cordoba, Toluca
For more information regarding Global Football tours and events and to reserve an overseas visit in 2014 and beyond, contact Patrick Steenberge: Tel: 817-219-7274 / Email: Patrick@GlobalFootball.com.