Herstreit Classic won't return to Cowboys Stadium in 2012

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By David McNabb

As expected, the Herbstreit Classic won't have a fifth-season of profile high school football games which have been played at Cowboys Stadium since 2009. Chicago-based Intersport Inc. has been event coordinator for the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic and confirmed to the Fort Worth-Star Telegram on Thursday that the series of high school football games has no plans to host the annual Labor Day games at Cowboys Stadium for 2012.

The Herbstreit Classic was successful in featuring nationally prominent and highly talented programs from around the country to play Texas schools. But travel distances kept crowds small an 80,000-seat venue for nearly all games other than Euless Trinity drawing 30,000 for the first high school game at Cowboys Stadium with a victory over Utah Bingham in 2009 and about 20,000 on hand for Trinity crushing Shiloh (Ark.) Christian, 80-26, in 2010.

The event began in Ohio in 2005 and expanded to Texas in 2008, when it was held at Texas Stadium in Irving.

The crowds haven't warranted the expense of playing in Cowboys Stadium and www.vypedfw.com reported recently there are plenty of high-profile football matchups coming for the 2012 season but none are at Cowboys Stadium, which had crowds of more than 40,000 for a pair of UIL state championship games last December.