The 2022 Polynesian Bowl, presented by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, will be broadcast live in primetime on NFL Network. The game will be played Friday, January 20, 2023, at 9:00 PM ET (4:00 PM Hawaii Time) at Kūnuiākea Stadium on the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus.
“This is a significant milestone and recognition for the Polynesian community to have the Polynesian Bowl broadcast live in primetime on NFL Network,” said San Francisco 49ers four-time Super Bowl Champion Jesse Sapolu, chairman & co-founder of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. “We thank Commissioner Goodell and the National Football League owners for their commitment to sharing our culture. It’s Friday night football in Hawai’i!”
“We are excited to broadcast the Polynesian Bowl exclusively on NFL Network,” said Mark Quenzel, NFL Senior Vice President, Head of Content. “The impact of the Polynesian community throughout the National Football League is profound and extensive, and we look forward to providing a platform for the next generation of Polynesian talent to showcase their skills and talent.”
The Polynesian Bowl is a premier all-star game played annually, since 2017, in Honolulu. It features 100 of the nation’s top ranked high school seniors of Polynesian and non-Polynesian ancestry alike – many whom have gone on to play in the NFL.
Polynesians represent less than half of 1% of the U.S. population yet continue to make an outsized impact on the NFL. About 70 Polynesian players are currently on NFL rosters such as DeForest Buckner, Talanoa Hufanga, Marcus Mariota, Jordan Mailata, Jordan Poyer, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Penei Sewell, Ronnie Stanley, Tua Tagovailoa, Vita Vea and Zach Wilson. Legends Junior Seau, Kevin Mawae and Troy Polamalu have been enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Polynesian Bowl news release
