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Steve Hatchell,
President & CEO
Media Contacts:
Phil Marwill | 917-579-4256
Alan Cox | 972-556-1000
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NFF Chalktalk - June 26, 2017
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Former Arizona State head coach Frank Kush, a 1995 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, passed away June 22 in Phoenix. Also incredibly active with the NFF Valley of the Sun Chapter in Arizona, he claimed an NFF Chapter Leadership Award in 1992. Kush was 88.
Kush led the Sun Devils football team from 1958-79, winning a school-record 176 games. He had a winning record in 19 of his 22 seasons, including undefeated teams in 1970 and 1975. The 1975 team beat Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl, finished 12-0, and was ranked No. 2 by both the AP and United Press International. Kush was named Coach of the Year in 1975 by the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Foundation.
Kush's teams won 16 Territorial Cup games against Arizona (including nine in a row from 1965-73), won nine conference championships and were 6-1 in bowl games. ASU moved from the Western Athletic Conference to the Pac-12 Conference during the Kush era.
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For the first time in its history, Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va., will field a football team, beginning with an exhibition schedule in 2018-19, while building the capacity to play a full season during the 2019-2020 season.
"We are so excited to bring a college football team to the city of Wheeling," said Dr. Debra Townsley, WJU president. "Adding a football team sends a strong message affirming our commitment to both our athletic conference -- the Mountain East -- and to the Ohio Valley. I look forward to welcoming the local community on to our beautiful campus and to Bishop Schmitt Field."
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Fourth of July at the Hall:
The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience invites you to spend 4th of July weekend at the Hall. Bring your family and friends to experience this one-of-a-kind attraction and celebrate Independence Day! Enjoy a day at the Hall, and then experience the Southeast's largest fireworks show only steps away at the annual Centennial Olympic Park 4th of July Celebration!
July 11,
SIAC Media Day: The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) announced that it will host its annual Football Media Day on Tuesday, July 11, at the College Football Hall of Fame.
July 15, Movie Time at the Hall: The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience and Explore Georgia invite you to "Movie Time at the Hall." All guests in attendance on July 15 will be able to watch two feature films, Remember the Titans and Little Giants, on the 32-foot wide screen on the playing field at no additional cost. Popcorn, chips and drinks will be available for purchase, so take a break from the heat and have a nice fun day at the Hall.
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
.
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Two NFF Board Members, Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager
Jerry Jones and College Football Hall of Famer
Ronnie Lott (Southern California),
led an NFL delegation that met with
Pope Francis at the Vatican. Hall of Famer Floyd Little (Syracuse) also attended.
On Sept. 23, 2017 College Football Hall of Fame electee Kirk Gibson will host Gibby & Friends vs. Parky, a pregame tailgate before Michigan State's game against Notre Dame to raise $1 million in a single day for Parkinson's disease research. Gibson is currently battling the disease. Special guests in attendance will include NFF Board Member and Michigan State President Lou Anna K. Simon and 2015 NFF Toner Award recipient and Michigan State athletics director Mark Hollis.
BYU announced it will be sporting a patch this season in honor of the late College Football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards, who passed away in December.
College Football Hall of Fame coach Phillip Fulmer has been hired as a special advisor to University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro for community, athletics and university relations.
College Football Hall of Famer and 2005 NFF Distinguished American Alan Page (Notre Dame) read his new book, "Alan and his Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky," to children in attendance prior to the St. Paul Saints baseball game on Sunday. The book, which he co-wrote with his daughter, Kamie, can be purchased on Amazon.
College Football Hall of Famer Marc Wilson will have his No. 6 jersey retired by BYU on Sept. 16 during halftime of the BYU-Wisconsin game. Former Cougars Robbie Bosco and Luke Staley, who wore No. 6 as well, will also be honored.
Wisconsin will host the 16th-annual Legends of Wisconsin Classic June 27 at University Ridge Golf Course. Participants will include College Football Hall of Famer Pat Richter and 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Scott Tolzien.
1967 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Steve Warren (North Carolina State) was recently inducted into the Lincoln County (N.C.) Sports Hall of Fame.
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NFF Montana Chapter president Chris Dixon threw for 198 yards and six touchdowns and added two rushing touchdowns to lead the Texas Revolution to a 59-49 victory over the Omaha Beef in the Champions Indoor Football championship. College Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown (Notre Dame) serves as the team's general manager.
The
NFF Tom Lombardo/St. Louis Chapter
will hold its M&M Golf Tournament July 12 at
Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Mo.
The NFFCHOF Bill Dooley (N.C.) Chapter will hold its annual Pigskin Preview July 20 at the Embassy Suites in Cary, N.C. The event features insights from the five local college head coaches on the upcoming season. Expected to attend are Duke's David Cutcliffe, N.C. State's Dave Doeren, North Carolina's Larry Fedora, North Carolina Central's Jerry Mack and East Carolina's Scottie Montgomery.
The NFF Touchdown Club of Houston Chapter will host a luncheon featuring Baylor head coach Matt Rhule July 24 at the JW Marriott Houston.
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Scheduling
Ole Miss and Texas Tech will play in the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff at NRG Stadium in Houston... Ole Miss will host New Mexico State in 2019 and Middle Tennessee in 2020... Boston College and Michigan State agreed to a home-and-home series in 2024 and 2025... East Carolina has added a home game against Gardner-Webb in 2019... Louisiana Monroe added future games with Southeastern Louisiana and Grambling State... Navy will open the 2018 season in "week zero" against Lehigh... Navy also posted its 2020 non-conference schedule... Middle Tennessee added Tennessee State to its 2019 schedule... Syracuse completed its 2018 non-conference schedule with the addition of Wagner...
Obituaries
Robert Woods, the only man to ever take the field as a starter in the Army-Navy football game for both teams, passed away last month. He was 96... Former Southeast Missouri State football player and head coach Jim Lohr passed away June 24... Former Rice football player Don Costa, a member of the 1954 Cotton Bowl championship team that defeated Alabama, passed away June 13. He was 84... Former Notre Dame and Georgia football player Jack McHugh passed away June 15. He was 87... Former Montana Tech football player Ryan Jones died June 18. He was 26... Former Florida A&M football player Eugene Broxton passed away June 18. He was 89... Former Kansas football player and actor Keith Loneker passed away June 22. He was 46... Longtime The Des Moines Register sports writer John "Buck" Turnbull passed away June 23. He was 88... Former East Carolina defensive back Anthony Lennon died June 23. He was 24... Clifton Gilliard, a former football player and longtime coach and administrator at Prairie View A&M, passed away. He was 79...
More News of Interest
ESPN exercised its option to extend broadcast rights for BYU home games through 2019... Kansas
is moving forward
with a $300 million Memorial Stadium renovation plan... Penn State's student section sold out more than 21,000 tickets for the upcoming season. The section has consistently sold out for four decades... East Stroudsburg (Pa.) has signed a five-year contract with NFF-partner Under Armour... The College Football Playoff announced that Chief Operating Officer Michael Kelly has received a three-year contract extension and Laila Brock has been promoted to senior director for operations and logistics...
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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.
Eastern Illinois joined this week as an Executive Member.
Click here
to see all of the 2017 NFF Institutional Academic Members.
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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 National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association provides a powerful vehicle for past honorees to remain in the vanguard of the NFF's present efforts. Membership for the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association is now open.
Those who joined this week include
Jonathan Claiborne (Maryland - 1977),
Morgan Copeland (Texas - 1977),
Dan DeRose (Colorado State-Pueblo - 1983),
Richard Diana (Yale - 1981),
Greg Eslinger (Minnesota - 2005), College Football Hall of Famer
Rex Kern (Ohio State - 1970),
Jeff Lewis (Georgia - 1977),
Alan Rozycki (Dartmouth - 1960),
Michael Ryan (Washington - 1966), College Football Hall of Famer
John Sciarra (UCLA - 1975),
Robert Stebbins (Central Michigan - 1987) and
David Wonderlick (Susquehanna [Pa.] - 2000).
Click here for more information and to see all of the members of the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association.
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Join the NFF
Support amateur football in your area by joining the NFF today.
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Donate to the NFF
Tax deductible gifts help fulfill mission of
Building Leaders Through Football.
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Aug. 22, 2017 - Release of the preseason FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, which ranks the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. The first poll of the season will be released Tuesday, Sept. 5, to account for the Labor Day games, and the final poll will be released Dec. 3, the day after the conference championship games. Polls during the season will be released on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. ET. - Via Press Release
Sept. 27, 2017
-
Announcement of the 2017 semifinalists for The
William V. Campbell Trophy
, presented by Fidelity Investments - 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
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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 - Announcement of the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class
during festivities prior to College Football Playoff National Championship - Atlanta, Ga.
Jan. 8, 2018 - College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, Ga.
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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.
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