Unity Beach Bowl Fiasco Shows We Need More Accountability For All-Star Games

My wife and I rushed into our seats 15 minutes before the inaugural Unity Beach Bowl. I was nervous I would miss the opening details of the game. The thought of an all-star game showcasing FCS, D-II, and D-III players 3.5 hours away from me thrilled me. I essentially begged my wife to make the trip together a day after returning from our honeymoon.

Luckily, inauspicious circumstances delayed the game. However, this good luck turned eerie. Players lingered in the stands with their families. Some players headed to the locker room and changed out of their pads. The game's organizers blamed the delay on the officiating crew not showing up. The game did not kickoff for another 100 minutes, starting after 1:30 PM, over 90 minutes after the original kickoff. By kickoff, so many players had left the game that there were not enough players to fill every position group on both teams. Three different linemen played every offensive snap for both teams.

Despite the Unity Beach Bowl kicking off ninety minutes late and the bowl having enough money for a minuscule two-man refereeing crew, the PA announcer kept advertising a sweepstake giving away an all-expenses-paid four-day, three-night stay in Myrtle Beach. Even though the show went on, the experience at the game was awkward. Players had to switch teams to fill roster holes. Each team had one quarterback, and a few offensive linemen had to play every down.

In the following days, participants in the game left scathing reviews, starting with star Duquesne receiver John Erby, who detailed his experience in a long thread on X, with some tweets displayed below.

Several players had to leave before the game started due to scheduling flights after the game. The players who understandably left will not receive refunds. The Unity Beach Bowl website stipulates in all capital letters that they would not issue refunds for any reason.

One would think that such unprofessionalism is rare in all-star games, but it continues a frightening trend. The HBCU Pigskin Showdown hoped to follow in the footsteps of the HBCU Legacy Bowl from 2021-2023. However, instead of giving more HBCU players opportunities, its co-founder, Brian Grove, landed in jail for writing a bad check to a uniform provider. The game also needed the City of Mobile to provide over $29,000 for hotel rooms to save the game. The Hula Bowl lied to fans about its TV contract and had serious allegations levied against it soon after the game.

College football players at all levels hunger for an opportunity at the next level in any league. The Unity Beach Bowl saw this and emerged. They either meant well and were unprepared, or they operated to profit off the players. These all-star games are here, but who will hold them accountable?

The root of the issue is the lack of a sanctioning body for all-star games like the FBS has for bowl games. Any group of opportunistic investors can start their all-star game without solidifying the details. Thus, we have incidents like the Unity Beach Bowl.

Perhaps a coalition of pro scouts and athletic directors could audit all-star games yearly based on multiple criteria. These criteria could include the legitimacy of an all-star game's hotel expenses for players and staff, operational blueprint, conditions for players, and more. Nevertheless, such a committee could seem overbearing and too costly to seem worthwhile for policing the less than 10 all-star games in operation. Until there is more oversight for postseason all-star games, events such as the Unity Beach Bowl will continue.

Nevertheless, the players that participated made the most of the opportunity. The 30 or so players that stayed to play in the Unity Beach Bowl show that there is room for more all-star games, especially for overlooked FCS, D-II, and D-III players. One of the players even mistakenly asked if I was a scout.

Arguably, no one cherished the opportunity more than Clark Atlanta quarterback Heath Williams Jr. Williams Jr. threw for as many touchdowns in the Unity Beach Bowl, four, as he did in his entire collegiate career. His story shows a market for more all-star games, but some organizers lack the care for players and experience. Hopefully, more athletic directors and coaches take notice of games like the Unity Beach Bowl and prevent inadequately prepared all-star games.