MONTGOMERY – A new site for the all-star football game is the major change in the eighth annual Alabama All-Star Sports Week beginning its six-day run here Monday (July 12), according to the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association (AHSADCA).

The Friday football contest has been moved to Troy because of the renovation project in progress at Cramton Bowl where the game has been played the last seven years.

Kickoff for the game is Friday at 7 p.m. at Troy University’s Movie Gallery Stadium.

“We would have loved to have had Cramton Bowl fixed and be the first event on the new turf, but it didn’t happen and we had to find another place,” said Ken Blankenship, Director of the AHSADCA.

This football game, which has featured graduated seniors since its inception in 1948, will be the final one played during the All-Star week.

It will move to December, beginning in 2004, and feature high school juniors.

It is tentatively set for Dec. 21.

The Coaching School and all the other all-star games and activities of Sports Week will remain in its summer time slot. Other all-star contests are baseball, softball, and girl’s and boy’s basketball and soccer.

The Coaching School and a product exposition are held at the Montgomery Civic Center along with other related activities throughout the week.

The School is expected to draw over 3,000 coaches again.

The new Friday schedule for the football game will have the North and South players going to Troy for a morning walk-through at the stadium, a press conference and an afternoon movie.

Since the Montgomery Civic Center will undergo some mayor renovations beginning later this summer, the AHSADCA is searching for another city to host the Sports Week in 2005 and 2006.

“For the next two years we’ll have to find another home,” said Blankenship. “We must have a civic center comparable to Montgomery with at least two large meeting rooms that can seat 90 and 10 others that can seat 200. That’s just for the coaching school.

“For the all-star games we need fields for softball, baseball and soccer that will attract large crowds and arenas for basketball and volleyball.”

The AHSADCA operates under the auspices of the Alabama High School Athletic Association. Membership includes coaches of all AHSAA sports as well as administrators of member schools.