 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Steve Hatchell,
President & CEO
Media Contacts:
Phil Marwill | 917-579-4256
Alan Cox | 972-556-1000
|
|
NFF Chalktalk - April 4, 2017
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The National Football Foundation will announce
the members of the 2017 NFF Hampshire Honor Society on Wednesday, April 5. Celebrating its 11th year, the society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career.
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the current NFF National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. Jon F. Hanson, chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies and NFF Chairman Emeritus, generously provided the endowment to launch the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007. The initiative has previously honored 6,634 student-athletes since its inception.
|
 |
|
The 2017 NFF Institutional Academic Membership program is now open. Each year, the NFF invites universities, colleges, conferences and bowl games from across the country to provide support for NFF programs through its Institutional Academic Membership Program. The program allows the NFF to greatly enhance the power of football's collective voice while actively building a stronger national platform for the game with community leaders, educators and the media.
Duke and North Carolina State are Lifetime Members of the program. Those that have joined already in 2017 include Presidential Members ACC, Alabama, American Athletic Conference, Army, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, Iowa State, Liberty, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Southern California, Texas Tech and West Virginia; Founder Members Georgia, Kansas and Troy; and Executive Members Charlotte, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Miami (Fla.), Northwestern, Rutgers, Syracuse, TCU, Washington State and Western Kentucky.
Click here
to see all of the 2017 NFF Institutional Academic Members.
|
|
| |
|
April 7, Free Day at the Hall:
On Friday, April 7, Chick-fil-A is offering all fans a free pass to the College Football Hall of Fame from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy the Hall's 45-yard indoor football field, interactive exhibits and more for free. Then, stop by the retail store on your way out for 10% off full-priced items.
April 8, Masters Chip-Off:
Putt, chip and win at Masters Chip Off on Saturday, April 8. Try your golf hand on the 45-yard indoor gridiron with Topgolf, watch the Masters on the 36-foot HD videoboard and enter to win big prizes in the raffle.
About the College Football Hall of Fame:
The Hall opened its doors Aug. 23, 2014, in the heart of Atlanta's sports, entertainment and tourism district. Adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park, the new Hall provides visitors with a highly immersive, interactive and engaging experience using a blend of historic college football artifacts and state-of-the-art, interactive multimedia exhibits. To plan your visit and purchase tickets, visit
www.cfbhall.com
.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
NFF Board Members Joe Castiglione (Oklahoma athletics director and 2013 NFF Toner Award recipient) and Bob Vecchione (NACDA Executive Director)
are among
the speakers that will take part in the Inaugural NACDA Spring Symposium presented by IMG College April 9-11 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Two other past Toner Award winners will also speak: Gene Smith (Ohio State - 2008) and Kevin White (Duke - 2014).
GE, led by NFF Board Member and 2016 NFF Legacy Award recipient Jeff Immelt, has scheduled the groundbreaking for its new headquarters in Boston for May 8.
NFF Board Member and Big 12 Conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby will take part in a Knight Commission panel May 1 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information and the rest of the panelists.
NFF Board Member and former conference commissioner Chuck Neinas and his wife, Patricia Pacey, recently made a donation to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for the establishment of a concussion initiative in connection with the Master's of Science in Athletic Training and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs.
The New Orleans Recreation Development Foundation will host its inaugural Champions Gala on April 11 honoring longtime supporter Peyton Manning, a 2017 College Football Hall of Fame electee and the 1997 Campbell Trophy winner from Tennessee.
College Football Hall of Fame player and 2017 Hall of Fame electee as a coach Steve Spurrier donated $100,000 to the University of Florida's Game Changer initiative.
College Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU) has joined the Los Angeles Chargers as Special Assistant to the owner of the team.
College Football Hall of Fame coach
Lou Holtz
and 2009 NFF Gold Medal recipient and NIKE co-founder
Phil Knight
will serve
as guest coaches for Ohio State's spring game on April 15.
NCAA Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and 1981 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Oliver Luck (West Virginia) will address Executive Directors and other personnel at the Football Bowl Association's annual meeting on April 18 in San Antonio.
1977 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Jeffrey Lewis (Georgia), now a lawyer, recently received the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia.
2011 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award recipient Verne Lundquist will speak
as part of the 2017 PwC SMU Athletic Forum on April 13 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.
2010 NFF Legacy Award Winner, former NCAA executive and Oregon quarterback Tom Jernstedt was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Football Bowl Association has named the late 2015 NFF Legacy Award recipient Donnie Duncan, a former athletics director, head football coach and bowl executive director, as the recipient of its 2018 Champions Award.
NFF Program Updates
The NFF Scholar-Athlete of the Day, presented by Fidelity Investments, is a daily segment honoring the semifinalists for the 2016
William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments. Today's honoree is Malone (Ohio) safety
J.C. Pawlyk, who maintains a
3.54 GPA in health education/physical education
.
|
|
|
The NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter held its ninth annual scholar-athlete banquet on April 2. NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell (left) was presented with the chapter's highest honor, the Distinguished Texan Award, by longtime Texas sports information director Bill Little. Dallas businessman and former State Fair of Texas chairman Pete Schenkel led the other major awards presented. The chapter also honored seven collegiate scholar-athletes and 81 high school scholar-athletes.
Retired Arlington Lamar High School football coach Eddy Peach, who was honored with the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter's 2016 Legends Award, will be inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association's Hall of Honor.
2015 NFF Chapter Leadership Award recipient Mark Ball from the NFF Texas Tech Chapter is among the newest inductees into the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association's Hall of Honor.
The NFF Greater Morris County (N.J.) Chapter took out a full-page ad in
The Star-Ledger
to highlight its 2017 scholar-athletes, who were honored on March 16.
The NFF New York City Chapter will host its scholar-athlete banquet on April 6 at the New York Athletic Club. Among the nights honorees are New York Giants quarterback and 2003 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Eli Manning (Ole Miss) and former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi.
The NFF Walter J. Zable/San Diego Chapter's scholar-athlete banquet will take place April 7 at the Scottish Rite Center in San Diego.
The NFF Valley of the Sun (Ariz.) Chapter scholar-athlete banquet is scheduled for April 8 at Scottsdale Plaza in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The NFF Southern Arizona Chapter will host its 20th annual scholar-athlete banquet April 9 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Tucson, Ariz. Former Arizona head coach Dick Tomey will be the guest speaker.
The NFF Western Mass. Chapter will hold its scholar-athlete banquet April 9 at the UMass Campus Center Auditorium in Amherst, Mass.
The NFF Colorado Chapter will host its scholar-athlete banquet April 10 at the Denver West Marriott. Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre will be the guest speaker.
The NFF Tom Lombardo/St. Louis Chapter will host its monthly luncheon on April 19 at Lombardo's restaurant. The guest speaker will be Missouri head coach Barry Odom.
The
NFF East Tennessee Chapter
will hold
its scholar-athlete awards brunch April 22
at The Foundry in Knoxville, Tenn., before Tennessee's spring game. Former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer will receive the 2017 Neyland Trophy while longtime North Carolina play-by-play announcer and 2011 NFF Chris Schenkel Award recipient Woody Durham will receive the Lindsey Nelson Broadcasting Award.
|
|
|
New Football Schools
Texas Wesleyan will kick off its highly-anticipated, revived football program this fall at Fort Worth's historic Farrington Field,
where the Rams played their last home game in 1941...
Scheduling
On Nov. 9, 2019, only three days after the 150th anniversary of the first college football game ever, Princeton will take on Dartmouth at Yankee Stadium... The 2017 Texas A&M-UCLA season opener in the Rose Bowl will be moved from Saturday, Sept. 2, to Sunday, Sept. 3... The 2017 West Virginia-Virginia Tech game has also been moved to Sunday, Sept. 3... Army announced kickoff times for its home games in 2017... Tennessee and Oklahoma have
scheduled a home-and-home series for
2020 and 2024... Florida State will host Northern Illinois in 2018... Utah State will play at Michigan State in 2018 and at Washington in 2020... Utah State also added future games with Stony Brook, Southern Utah and North Dakota... Ole Miss has added 11 opponents to its future schedules...
UTEP is renewing its football series with Nevada and New Mexico... New Mexico has added future games with Liberty, Houston Baptist, Texas A&M and UCLA... South Carolina added Charleston Southern to its 2019 schedule... South Carolina will also host Chattanooga in 2018 and Coastal Carolina in 2018 and 2020... North Carolina will play Mercer in 2019... Colorado State will host Western Illinois in 2019... Utah State set a new date for its 2019 home game against BYU and postponed a home-and-home series with Troy... ESPN is covering 21 spring games throughout the month of April...
Obituaries
Legendary Carson-Newman (Tenn.) head football coach Ken Sparks, who has the fourth highest win percentage and fifth most wins in college football history, passed away March 29. He was 73... Former Big Eight and Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke passed away March 29. He was 88... Former Rice football player Huey Keeney passed away Feb. 28. He was 88... Former Norwich (Vt.) football player Paul Ricker passed away March 23. He was 60... Former Auburn football player and Troy assistant coach Phillip Creel passed away March 29. He was 74... Former Wichita State halfback Linwood Sexton passed away March 29. He was 90... Former Texas A&M center
Chris Dausin
passed away March 30. He was 47... Former Oklahoma and
Southeastern Oklahoma State football player James Steward passed away March 30. He was 78... Former Texas Tech fullback
James Hadnot passed away. He was 59...
|
|
|
 |
Join the NFF
Support amateur football in your area by joining the NFF today.
|
|
|
|
|
Donate to the NFF
Tax deductible gifts help fulfill mission of
Building Leaders Through Football.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Since 1959, the National Football Foundation has annually recognized the best and brightest college players, presenting them with prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments. The $18,000 postgraduate scholarships are presented at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City.
Launched in 2008, the NFF Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association provides a powerful vehicle for past honorees to remain in the vanguard of the NFF's present efforts.
Click here to see all of the members of the 2016 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association.
|
June 1, 2017 - 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Ballots distributed to members of the National Football Foundation - Irving, Texas
Sept. 27, 2017
-
Announcement of the 2017 semifinalists for The
William V. Campbell Trophy
- Via Press Release
Nov. 1, 2017 -
Announcement of the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy finalists, who comprise the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments - Via Press Release
Dec. 4, 2017
-
Ivy League's Asa S. Bushnell Cup Announcement, presented by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 5, 2017 - NFF Annual Awards Press Conference at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 5, 2017 - NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 5, 2017 - 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City, including the induction of the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the 28th presentation of
The William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments and prominently displayed at the New York Athletic Club.
Dec. 6, 2017 -
Campbell Trophy Luncheon at the New York Athletic Club - New York City
Jan. 1, 2018 - The 13th Annual NFF National Hall of Fame Salute during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Atlanta, Ga.
Jan. 8, 2018 - College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, Ga.
|
|
Advertising in NFF publications will put your organization in front of key decision makers in football including key administrators, coaches, players, former players, as well as other key sports business executives throughout the year.
To inquire about the print advertising opportunities available, please contact
Clerrinda Queen at 704-987-4089 or
[email protected]
.
The NFF would like to thank NFF correspondent Bo Carter for his contributions to this report.
|
|
Follow the NFF on Social Media:
|
|
| |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
