The Big 33 football game is a game for stars, but the shine of this contest has been smudged some in recent years.

This is the third year the game has been played in mid-June. The contest matches top graduated seniors from Pennsylvania against counterparts from Ohio, and the 51st version of the Big 33 is set for tomorrow night in Hershey.

For decades, the game was played in late July, but a new NCAA rule that went into effect a few years ago forced the contest to be moved to June. For some, the date change seems to have taken some of the luster off one of the longest-running all-star games in the country.

Players will tell you the Big 33 is still a big deal, and the game's new director says it is on solid footing for the future. Game officials are hoping for a crowd between 12,000 and 15,000.

But some other facts suggest the game is not what it used to be. For example, a few of the top players in Pennsylvania decided not to play this year, including Jeannette star quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

When the game was played in late July, the Big 33 had the high school spotlight to itself, but the state championships for baseball and softball are today, and graduation ceremonies at some high schools were held in the past week.

"Maybe in a way, the game has lost a little bit of hype," said North Allegheny coach Art Walker, one of Pennsylvania's assistant coaches. "Just because the Big 33 used to be kind of a kick off to the start of college season and high schools. The kids used to report to colleges a couple weeks after the game, and high schools started right after it, too. But I still think this game is important. There's a feeling up here [in Hershey] that it's still important and a big deal."

The new NCAA rule that affected the Big 33 deals with scholarships for incoming freshmen. Under the rule, colleges can start incoming freshmen on scholarships in the summer. In the past, however, if an incoming freshman wanted to start college in the summer, he had to pay his own way until the scholarship began in the fall semester. So, it was rare for a player to start college in the summer.

But college coaches want freshmen to get a jump on college and to start working out early, so the recent high school graduates are in college by the end of June. That means they are not available for the Big 33 in July.

John Greene is in his first year as Big 33 director after working at Penn State for eight years as an associate director of development for athletics.

"I think the game still has a great deal of luster," Greene said. "But, when you talk about having issues and challenges, I think you will always have that. You had them when the game was in July or even August. You just have to work around things."

Pryor said he decided to skip the Big 33 because he played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl national all-star game in San Antonio in January. Pryor will leave for Ohio State next week to start classes.

"I wasn't worried about playing in a Pennsylvania-Ohio game. I didn't want to risk the injury," Pryor said. "I already played in the best game."

Thomas Jefferson lineman Lucas Nix, a Pitt recruit, pulled out of the Big 33 game because of recent mouth surgery.

But Gateway standout linebacker-defensive end Shayne Hale, also a Pitt recruit, decided to skip the Big 33 game because he wanted a few weeks off before starting classes and workouts at Pitt. He is vacationing in Ocean City, Md., this week with Gateway classmates.

On the other hand, Cam Saddler, a Pitt recruit, and Leon Green, a Kent State recruit, are two other Gateway players who accepted an invitation to play in the Big 33. They could have been in Ocean City.

"It's kind of bittersweet because I wanted to spend a week with those guys that I went to four years of high school with," Saddler said. "But to be selected for a game like this is an honor."

Another problem the Big 33 had the past two years was getting the best Ohio players. Ohio has a North-South all-star game for players in its own state, and that game also was moved to mid-June because of the NCAA rule. A number of the best players in Ohio played in the North-South game last year instead of the Big 33.

But that problem has apparently been solved. Last year's Big 33 Ohio team did not include one Ohio State recruit. This year, five Ohio State recruits are on the Big 33 roster. The North-South game, also played tomorrow, does not have one Ohio State recruit.

"Obviously having Pryor play would've helped us quite a bit with attendance," Greene said. "But we're still excited about the game."