MADISON, Wis. — Brett Favre will be playing football again in Wisconsin, just not at Lambeau Field.
The former Green Bay Packers quarterback will be participating in a charity flag football game the University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium on July 19. The event pitting former Packers against NFL All-Stars will come a day after Favre is inducted into Packers Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Lambeau.
Organizers and a Packers spokesman say a scheduling conflict at Lambeau and the game’s proximity to the start of the NFL season prevented the team game from being held in Green Bay.
So Favre thought the next best place to hold the game would be Madison, which is about a two-hour drive southwest from Lambeau.
"As far as Lambeau, I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t have been great to play at Lambeau for obvious reasons. But it is what it is, and they have to get ready for the season and I guess it’s relatively close to that, and they have some other events prior to our flag football game," Favre said in a teleconference.
Favre is very familiar with Camp Randall since the Packers used to play preseason games there.
"This is not Lambeau, but it’s pretty darn close," Favre said. "What a great place to play."
Lambeau rarely hosts events outside of football season. On June 20, the venue will host a concert with country music stars Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean.
"Our main goal for Lambeau Field’s playing surface is to have it in the best condition possible for the start of the season," Packers spokesman Aaron Popkey said. The concert "will add some challenges to that goal, so we need to prevent any further wear and tear on the field prior to the season getting underway."
The team said it was looking for his forward to his return to Lambeau on July 18, and wished him well on the charity event.
A portion of proceeds will benefit the Favre 4 Hope Foundation, which benefits charities including Make A Wish and Special Olympics. Former Packers scheduled to attend including tight end Mark Chmura, receiver Javon Walker and centre Frank Winters.
"Well, I hope the shotgun snaps are going to be better this time than they were," Favre cracked.
Ex-NFL players scheduled to oppose the Packers old-timers include quarterback Donovan McNabb; running back Roger Craig; and Ron Dayne, the running back who won the Heisman Trophy in 1999 while playing at Wisconsin.
The flag football game will cap a momentous weekend for Favre, as well as a milestone in the mending relationship between the Packers and their former franchise quarterback.
The sides had a messy split in 2008 as Favre weighed retirement. He went on to play three more seasons with the Jets and Minnesota Vikings.
Besides the Hall of Fame induction, the July 18 ceremony inside Lambeau will also include the retirement of Favre’s No. 4 jersey. Last week, the team sold out roughly 67,000 seats for fans to watch the ceremony on the video board inside the stadium bowl.
"If there were any questions prior to that about how the fans felt about my return, I think those questions have been answered," Favre said. "This game is just another way to cap off that weekend in a fun way."
The number will go up on the stadium’s interior facade during the Packers’ Thanksgiving night game on Nov. 26 against the Chicago Bears.
