During play, one of the more conspicuous things about the inaugural National Football Foundation (NFF) All-Star Classic on Saturday at Hofstra were the uniforms both sides were wearing.

The Long Island team adorned white jerseys with red numbers and silver Riddell Axiom helmets, reminiscent of Ohio State’s road uniforms. New York City’s squad dressed in navy blue jerseys with yellow numbers and the same pattern on their helmets: Michigan’s color scheme.

Having the teams dress like the two Football Bowl Subdivision powerhouses, who are bitter rivals, was all part of the plan. The NFF runs the College Football Hall of Fame, and to give a nod to the college game’s history, the organization decided to make the uniform theme for this game one of the most historic rivalries in the sport. This is the NFF’s plan for every All-Star Classic game in the future.

Before the game on Wednesday, Garden City running back Michael Berkery, who caught a 37-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, showed some excitement regarding the uniforms.

“To be repping Ohio State in this game is definitely really cool,” Berkery said. “It almost feels like I’m a part of the true Ohio State team with the way I’m being treated and the way my equipment looks. Looking at our team and how we look in practice, I think it might be a typical Ohio State-Michigan game.”

Fittingly, New York Jets tight end and Lindenhurst alumnus Jeremy Ruckert, who played for Ohio State, joined Team Long Island’s captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss.

On each sideline, the game’s primary sponsor, Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group, set up a trainer’s table under a tent with their branding on it and assigned multiple trainers and doctors to each one. They also set up a medical tent for injury examination on the city's sideline.

Before the game, Smithtown West student Cordelia Comando sang the national anthem following a performance from a bagpipe band belonging to the Nassau County Police Department. As soon as Comando finished, a Nassau Police helicopter created a rumble as it flew over Shuart Stadium amidst applause for the high school singer.

Plenty of families and friends cheered, including brothers Christopher and Robert Cullen, who played football for Half Hollow Hills East alongside Team Long Island selections Lucas Martin and Noah Chlap. They were also supporting their cousin, Audrina Cullen, who was there as a cheerleader. The brothers felt as though the event was like a large Long Island bonding exercise.

“I think it’s an amazing atmosphere to be in,” Christopher Cullen said. “Every time you walk down the stands, there’s someone you know.”

“Not even that, but these are people you’ve played against your whole life,” Robert Cullen added. “You talk to them and say things like, ‘Hey, what’s up. We’re on the same team now.’ It’s like team bonding.”

Following every whistle and flag came the hand gestures from referee Steve Zimmer to signal the penalties to the crowd. Granted, nothing special happened during these penalty announcements, but the man making the gestures came with some importance.

Zimmer was a quarterback for Massapequa and graduated in 1970, went on to be an Academic All-American quarterback for Hofstra University through the 1973 season. He got into officiating while studying law after his playing career ended. By 1996, Zimmer was officiating in the World League of American Football, which later rebranded to NFL Europe. The next year, then-NFL Senior Director of Officiating Jerry Seeman called Zimmer to give him a gig on NFL sidelines.

Zimmer officiated in the NFL as a field judge from 1997 through the 2022 season, working two Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls along the way. Since then, he has done work with the Big Ten, the Mid-American Conference, the Pioneer League and the Missouri Valley Conference as an officiating evaluator.

Saturday’s NFF All-Star Classic was his first time officiating on a field since his NFL days. He officiated in all 24 of the old Empire Challenge games, through which he met the game’s coordinator, Section XI assistant executive director Pete Blieberg. When Blieberg asked him if he wanted to come out of on-field retirement for a day, Zimmer was happy to accept.

“Obviously, it’s for the kids,” Zimmer said. “Me being one of those kids 55 or 60 years ago, I was happy to do this. It’s all about the kids, that’s the bottom line. I just wish that when I was in high school, we had these types of games.”