For most of its history, the game was played in the San Francisco Bay Area, usually at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium or Stanford Stadium at Stanford University, with Pacific Bell Park/SBC Park (now Oracle Park) as a host in its final years in Northern California.

For more than half of the games played in the Bay Area, entertainment was provided by the marching band from Santa Cruz High School.

[4] In January 1942, the game was played in New Orleans, due to the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

This one-year relocation was based upon fears that playing the game on the West Coast could make the contest and the stadium a potential target for an additional attack.

[9] After two years in Orlando, the 2012 game was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg; it was the sixth different venue (in five cities and three states) in a span of eight contests.

[10] The game is played under NFL rules, with some restrictions, such as no motion or shifts by the offense, and no stunts or blitzes by the defense.

[13] In June 2023, organizers announced that the game would move to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, for its 2024 playing.

† For the December 1925 game, NCAA records list a 7–0 final score,[16] while contemporary newspaper accounts report 6–0.

One exception was Sean McEwen of the Calgary Dinos (a Canada West school), who played on the East squad in the 2016 game.

[23][24] A hall of fame was established in 2002, with additional inductees typically named in the weeks leading up to each annual playing.