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FHSAA approves Bowl Series [Sun Sentinel](South Florida Sun Sentinel (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 30--Bringing a football State Champions Bowl Series to South Florida got a step closer on Monday. The Florida High School Athletic Association board of directors voted on and approved a recommendation to have the games played on Dec. 27 at a site yet to be determined. There's some conversation suggesting that FAU Stadium in Boca Raton is a leading candidate to host the inaugural event. Paragon Marketing Group and ESPN TV networks, which already hold a boys and girls basketball national high school invitational, formulated a similar football concept. A tentative schedule calls for three games to be played at noon, 4 and 7 p.m., all televised by ESPNU. Paragon, based outside Chicago, has a history of packaging sports events with ESPN. It will select teams to be invited based in large part on national rankings. For teams to be eligible to participate, they must be a member of a state association that is part of the National Federation of High School associations and must receive approval from its respective state high school association governing body to participate. Once regular and postseason play has been completed across the nation teams will be chosen by a selection committee, whose makeup is to be determined and managed by Paragon. The selection committee will consider, among other factors, team rankings in the USA Today Super 25 Poll and/or other nationally known high school football polls. The event could have one or as many as three Florida teams chosen. Booker T. Washington, Miami Central and St. Thomas Aquinas are ranked 4th, 7th and 12th in the latest USA/Today Poll. Participating schools will have all travel and hotel expenses paid and receive either a $12,500 appearance fee; $25,000 in merchandise from an athletic shoe, apparel or sporting goods company; or a combination of cash and merchandise. The choice of rights fee payment will be made by Paragon. ___ (c)2014 Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |