Next year's All-American Bowl, an annual match-up between 90 of the country's top high school football players, will be the last one put on by the Army, the service announced Wednesday.
Army Secretary Eric Fanning announced the Army will end its 16-year partnership with the bowl after the Jan. 6, 2018, game to use its resources on other marketing ventures, according to the announcement.
"The decision was difficult, but necessary to guarantee we remain the best stewards of the resources we are provided to ensure that America continues to value, support and consider joining the Army team," said Mark Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing.
The first All-American Bowl game was played in Dallas in 1985, but later moved to the Alamodome in San Antonio, also known as "Military City, USA."
The Army's sponsorship helped promote the service as well as showcase young athletes, Davis said.
Past players have included Odell Beckham Jr., Tim Tebow, Adrian Peterson and Andrew Luck.
"The Army continuously assesses the effectiveness of its marketing programs," Davis added, "and will continue to fund those that are high performers, cost effective, connect America with their Army and directly support Army recruiting,"
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
