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Steve Hatchell,
President & CEO
Media Contacts:
Phil Marwill | 917-579-4256
Alan Cox | 972-556-1000
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2017 College Football Hall of Fame electee Kirk Gibson (Michigan State) was honored Sept. 23 with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the Spartans' game against Notre Dame. He also entered the Spartan Stadium Ring of Honor during the ceremony.
A First Team All-American as a senior in 1978, Gibson helped the Spartans to a No. 12 national ranking that season and finished his career as the school's all-time leading receiver. Click here to read more about Gibson.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each inductee returns to his alma mater or school where they coached to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the institution. Gibson will officially be inducted during the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
The NFF would like to thank Michigan State Athletics Director and 2015 NFF John L. Toner Award recipient Mark Hollis, Fidelity Investments Executive Vice President Rick Mitchell, NFF Board Member and Michigan State President Lou Anna K. Simon, NFF business partner and Spielman Koenigsberg & Parker partner Jon Taylor and NFF COO Matthew Sign for taking part in the presentation. Joining Gibson on the field were his wife, JoAnn Sklarski, and two of their sons. Also on the field were a number of Gibson's former Michigan State teammates, including quarterback Ed Smith and kicker Morten Andersen, and former Detroit Tigers teammates, including Alan Trammell.
Before the ceremony Saturday evening, Gibson
led a fundraising effort to generate $1.2 million to fund research through MSU's College of Human Medicine into Parkinson's, a disease
he was diagnosed with in 2015.
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2017 Campbell Trophy® Semifinalists to be Announced Wednesday
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2016 Campbell Trophy
® winner Zach Terrell (Western Michigan).
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The NFF will announce the semifinalists for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments®, on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The award recognizes an individual as college football's top scholar-athlete.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity. One of the finalists will be named the winner of the Campbell Trophy® at the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 5 in New York City, and his postgraduate scholarship will be increased to $25,000.
Eligible candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility; have a cumulative 3.2 GPA (undergrad); be a starter or significant contributor; and have outstanding leadership and citizenship.
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Robert Johnston
, a 1961 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from Rice University, died suddenly while jogging on Sept. 20. He was 77.
A Rhodes Scholar, Johnston was a three-year letterman for the Owls and
was named to the All-Southwest Conference Team as a junior. In 1973, Johnston was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame.
A mechanical engineering major and a straight A student, Johnston graduated as the top man in his class. J
ohnston was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Oilers and Calgary Stampeders, but he changed his path after receiving a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University. At Oxford, Johnston received degrees in economics, politics and philosophy.
Johnston continued his education at Columbia where he received a Ph.D. in political science and economics. He then returned to his home state of Arkansas to teach at the University of Arkansas for 13 years while also working in the Arkansas legislature. He was appointe chairman of the Public Service Commission before becoming an international consultant for the United States, living and working in Ukraine, Armenia and Indonesia.
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As part of its "I'm A Football Player®" initiative, the NFF will produce a series of graphics to be distributed through social media every Tuesday and Thursday this fall, highlighting former college football players that have experienced success off the field. From Fortune 500 CEOs, to lawyers and doctors, to coaches and teachers and all other walks of life, our goal is to showcase everyone who has benefited from the game of football, sharing their stories across the nation.
Click here to view all of the past
"I'm A Football Player®" profiles.
If you, or someone you know, would like to take part and share a football story, please email us at:
[email protected].
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Alabama remained No. 1 with 40 first-place votes in the Week 4 FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll. Clemson, Oklahoma, Penn State and USC round out the top five in the poll, in which voters rank the top 16 FBS teams.
The results of the poll will be released every Sunday of the 2017 season and the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The final poll will be released Dec. 3. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers.
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The entrance to the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
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Tailgate Saturdays Built by The Home Depot:
Join the Hall every Saturday this season from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. for Tailgate Saturdays Built by The Home Depot. Watch the top matchups of the week on the Hall's 36-foot HD video board while you enjoy beverages and tailgate games on the field. Participate in the GameDay Desk contest for a chance to win prizes. Visit the Hall's Twitter page
@cfbhall
each week and vote for the matchups you want to see on Saturday! There's no better way to spend your Saturday's this Fall than at the Hall.
September, Curing Kids Cancer Promotion: All month long, the Hall will donate $1 of every adult ticket sold to Curing Kids Cancer to help aid them in an effort to find cures for all childhood cancers in our lifetime.
About the College Football Hall of Fame: The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience 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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NFF Board Member
Bob
Bowlsby's contract as Big 12 Commissioner has been extended through 2025.
2017 College Football Hall of Fame electee Dat Nguyen was Texas A&M's honorary captain on Saturday during the Aggies' game against Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
2017 College Football Hall of Fame electee and 1997 Campbell Trophy® winner Peyton Manning (Tennessee) will voice the role of Guapo in the upcoming animated film Ferdinand, which will open in theaters Dec. 15.
College Football Hall of Famer and current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald was named the honorary head coach of the 2017 AFCA Good Works Team.
College Football Hall of Famers
Dick Butkus,
Red Grange,
Buddy Young and Coach
Bob Zuppke
are part of the University of Illinois' inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Class, which will officially be inducted during a
public ceremony at State Farm Center on Sept. 30.
Josh Cody
, a College Football Hall of Fame player from Vanderbilt, was posthumously
inducted
into the Clemson Hall of Fame over the weekend for his time as Clemson's head football and basketball coach.
Eastern Kentucky
unveiled
a statue of College Football Hall of Fame coach Roy Kidd on Saturday.
2005 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Brad Smith (Missouri) will be inducted into the State of Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Oct. 16 at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield, Mo.
The Cotton Bowl Foundation announced a charitable gift challenge match to support Michigan State Athletics and the Mike Sadler Legacy Football Scholarship Endowment, named in honor of the late 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
2015 NFF Gold Medal recipient and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a 1975 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, recently received an honorary monogram from her alma mater in a surprise presentation on campus.
Former head coach and current college football analyst Lee Corso, who received the 2006 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award as part of ESPN College GameDay, was named the 2017 recipient of the Walter Camp Football Foundation Distinguished American award. He will receive the award Jan. 13 in New Haven, Conn.
Weekly TV Schedule:
Each week during the season, the NFF produces a comprehensive television schedule for all Division I (FBS and FCS) games complete with date, time, teams and on-air talent listings. Email [email protected] to sign up for the weekly schedule.
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The
NFF Arkansas Chapter/Little Rock Touchdown Club
's
2017 speaker series continued today with
College Football Hall of Fame coach and current Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez. The speaker on Oct. 9 will be Barrett Jones, the 2012 Campbell Trophy® winner, a two-time First Team All-American at Alabama and a current SEC Network broadcaster.
The Touchdown Club of Atlanta-NFF Chapter will hold a luncheon featuring former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops as the guest speaker on Oct. 2 at 103 West in Atlanta.
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Obituaries
Former Tennessee fullback
Paul Careathers
passed away Sept. 4. He was
64... Former Prairie View A&M football player Luke Austin passed away Sept. 5. He was 83... Former Michigan State football player
Clifton Roaf
passed away Sept. 12. He was 76...
Dr. Hallie Gregory
, the former director of athletics at Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State, passed away Sept. 17. He was 78... Midwestern State (Texas) cornerback
Robert Grays
died Sept. 19. He was
19... Denny Marcin, a former Miami (Ohio) football player and assistant coach at Miami (Ohio), North Carolina and Illinois, passed away Sept. 20. He was 75...
More News of Interest
The Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation announced a lead gift of $10 million from Tod Spieker and his family, kicking off the launch of Legacy's centennial capital campaign... An NCAA Division III record 37,355 people attended the game between Saint John's (Minn.) and St. Thomas (Minn.) at Target Field in Minneapolis... Colorado State and NFF-partner Under Armour unveiled a special State Pride uniform that the Rams will wear for their Nov. 11 home game against Boise State... Colorado has sold 20,785 season tickets, an increase of 2,774 season tickets from last fall, while Colorado State has sold a record 15,507 season tickets. Air Force has sold 14,000 season tickets, which is the most since 2013...
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Join the NFF
Support amateur football in your area by joining the NFF today.
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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. 3, 2017 - Release of the Final FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll for the 2017 season - 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 -
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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Another week, another No. 1 team sits atop the Fan Plan Championship Index (FPCI). This week it's the Georgia Bulldogs that have become the favorites to play in the national championship game in Atlanta. Georgia, ranked No. 15 a week ago with just a 2.00% chance to play in the championship game, saw its chance improve dramatically with its dominating win over the previously No. 5 Mississippi State Bulldogs. Georgia now sits with a 31.31% chance to play in the national championship game.
Click here for the full FPCI.
Compiled weekly during the season, the FPCI is a proprietary analytical look at the current state of the chase for college football's national championship. The FPCI aims to rate college football teams by their real-time percent chance to make the national championship game -- a dynamic metric that no other poll or ranking system measures.
The FPCI also includes the cost of a Fan Plan for each team. A Fan Plan is a one-of-a-kind indemnity product fans can purchase for their favorite team. If that team goes to the national championship game, Fan Plan pays for the fan's game tickets and travel costs, up to the total coverage value of the Fan Plan. Each Fan Plan has a $1,000 coverage value and fans can buy additional coverage in $1,000 increments, up to $10,000 in total coverage. Fan Plan costs are dynamic and change based on each team's real-time odds of making the championship game.
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