College sports hall of fame in Atlanta, Georgia
The
College Football Hall of Fame
is a
hall of fame
and interactive attraction devoted to
college American football
. The
National Football Foundation
(NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were voted first team All-American by the media.
In August 2014, the
Chick-fil-A
College Football Hall of Fame opened in downtown
Atlanta
,
Georgia
. The facility is a 94,256 square feet (8,756.7 m
2
) attraction located in the heart of Atlanta's sports, entertainment and tourism district, and is adjacent to the
Georgia World Congress Center
and
Centennial Olympic Park
.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
Early plans
[
edit
]
In 1949,
Rutgers University
in
New Brunswick, New Jersey
, was selected as the site for football's Hall of Fame, via a vote by thousands of sportswriters, coaches, and athletic leaders. Rutgers was chosen for the location because Rutgers and Princeton played the first game of intercollegiate football in New Brunswick on November 6, 1869.
[2]
Secondary plans in 1967
[3]
called for the Hall of Fame to be located at
Rutgers University
in
New Brunswick, New Jersey
, the location of the
first contest under rules now considered to be those of modern football
, between teams from Rutgers and the College of New Jersey, now
Princeton University
; Rutgers won 6?4. Rutgers donated land near its football stadium, office space, and administrative support. After years of collecting donations starting in 1949 for the construction of the building with ground not having been broken and no plans to do so, the
New Jersey Attorney General
began an investigation of the finances of the Hall of Fame's foundation, the
National Football Foundation
. In response, the Foundation moved its operations to
New York City
, where it continued to collect donations for several years.
Kings Mills
[
edit
]
When the
New York Attorney General
's office began its own investigation, the foundation moved to
Kings Mills, Ohio
in suburban
Cincinnati
, where a building finally was constructed adjacent to
Kings Island
in 1978.
[4]
[5]
In choosing the site, it had been hoped that the museum could attract the same visitors attending the adjacent
Kings Island
amusement park, but this failed to happen.
[5]
The Hall opened with good attendance figures early on, but visitation dwindled dramatically as time went on and never truly met projections.
[4]
Attendance, which had been projected to be 300,000 annually, peaked at 80,000 per year and dwindled to 30,000 per year.
[4]
[5]
The facility closed in 1992.
[4]
[5]
Nearby
Galbreath Field
remained open as the home of Moeller High School football until 2003.
[4]
In 2024,
Mercy Health
Kings Mills Hospital opened on the site.
[6]
[7]
South Bend
[
edit
]
In September 1991, the National Football Foundation opened a national search for a new location, soliciting bids from cities.
[5]
It first started by offering bids to cities with local National Football Foundation chapters.
[5]
Thirty-five such cities replied, including
South Bend, Indiana
.
[5]
The South Bend bid proposal was led by Bill Starks and Edward "Moose" Krause of the South Bend chapter of the National Football Foundation, who then approached South Bend mayor
Joe E. Kernan
about the concept.
[5]
Kernan brought the concept to the city's Project Future department, tasked with bringing new attractions to the city to assist its economic development.
[5]
Patrick McMahon, Project Future's executive director, collaborated with over a hundred people to craft a proposal for South Bend to host the Hall of Fame, which was presented to the National Football Foundation in November 1992.
[5]
The proposal slated for a $14 million facility to be constructed in South Bend's downtown.
[5]
Several sites in the city had been explored, such as a site near the
Indiana Toll Road
and various sites in the city's downtown, but a location near
Century Center
was the top choice.
[5]
On July 13, 1992, William Pearce, chairman of the National Football Foundation, made the announcement that South Bend had won the bid to host the Hall of Fame's new location.
[5]
South Bend had beaten out other locales, including
Atlanta
,
Houston
, the
New Jersey Meadowlands
,
New Orleans
.
[5]
The new location was opened in
South Bend, Indiana
, on August 25, 1995. Despite estimates that the South Bend location would attract more than 150,000 visitors a year, the Hall of Fame drew about 115,000 people the first year,
[8]
and about 60,000 annually after that.
[9]
By the late 1990s, some had already begun to criticize the Hall of Fame in South Bend as a failure, due to a lack of corporate sponsorship and poor turnout even during special events.
[10]
In September 2009,
Archie Manning
, the chairman of the National Football Foundation, announced that the museum would be moving to Atlanta.
[9]
The South Bend location closed in December of 2012.
[11]
Atlanta
[
edit
]
In 2009, the
National Football Foundation
decided to move the College Football Hall of Fame to
Atlanta
, Georgia. The possibility of moving the museum has been brought up in other cities, including
Dallas
, which had the financial backing of multi-millionaire
T. Boone Pickens
.
[12]
However, the National Football Foundation ultimately decided on Atlanta for the next site. The new $68.5 million museum opened on August 23, 2014.
[13]
It is located next to
Centennial Olympic Park
, which is near other attractions such as the
Georgia Aquarium
, the
World of Coca-Cola
,
CNN Center
, and the
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
.
[14]
[15]
The Hall of Fame is located near the
Georgia Institute of Technology
of the
ACC
(home to the oldest stadium in
Division I FBS
,
Bobby Dodd Stadium
), 10 blocks from
Georgia State University
of the
Sun Belt Conference
, and roughly 70 miles (110 km) from the
University of Georgia
of the
SEC
. The new building broke ground on January 28, 2013.
[16]
Sections of the architecture are reminiscent of a football in shape.
The facility is 94,256 square feet (8,756.7 m
2
) and contains approximately 50,000 square feet (4,600 m
2
) of exhibit and event space, interactive displays and a 45-yard indoor football field.
[17]
[18]
Atlanta Hall Management operates the College Football Hall of Fame.
[16]
During the
George Floyd Protests
on May 29, 2020, the Hall of Fame was damaged and looted by protesters.
[19]
Hall of Fame CEO Kimberly Beaudin told ESPN that only the gift shop was looted, adding that "no artifacts or displays were damaged".
[20]
In 2022, civil rights icon and hall of famer
Bobby Grier
along with family and Blake Van Leer were invited for a VIP tour. Grier's football story is being made into a future film.
[21]
[22]
Inductees
[
edit
]
As of 2018, there are 997 players and 217 coaches enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, representing 308 schools.
[23]
Thirteen players, two coaches and one inanimate object (the
Goodyear Blimp
)
[24]
were slated for induction in 2019.
[25]
Players by school
[
edit
]
Criteria for induction
[
edit
]
The National Football Foundation outlines specific criteria that may be used for evaluating a possible candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame.
[66]
- A player must have received major first team All-America recognition.
- A player becomes eligible for consideration 10 years after his last year of intercollegiate football played.
- Football achievements are considered first, but the post-football record as a citizen is also weighed.
- Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.
- The nominee must have ended his professional athletic career prior to the time of the nomination.
- Coaches must have at least 10 years of head coaching experience, coached 100 games, and had at least a .600 winning percentage.
[67]
The eligibility criteria have changed over time, and have occasionally led to criticism.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Hours, Directions & Parking Info - College Football Hall of Fame"
.
www.cfbhall.com
. Retrieved
July 7,
2017
.
- ^
"87TH SEASON - RUTGERS FOOTBALL PROGRAM"
(PDF)
. 1955
. Retrieved
November 8,
2022
.
- ^
"VSBA NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME COMPETITION"
(PDF)
. 1967
. Retrieved
June 5,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Rohrer, Jim (August 9, 2011).
"College Football Hall of Fame not enough to bring fortune to Mason"
.
The Cincinnati Enquirer
. Archived from
the original
on April 15, 2014.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
"South Bend The Next Cooperstown?"
(PDF)
. Scholastic Notre Dame's Student Magazine. November 11, 1993
. Retrieved
November 21,
2019
.
- ^
Pitman, Michael D. (January 11, 2021).
"Mercy Health to build new $156M, 60-bed hospital campus in Mason"
.
Journal-News
. Liberty Township, Butler County, Ohio
. Retrieved
April 24,
2024
.
- ^
"Mercy Health, City of Mason Celebrate Grand Opening of New Mercy Health ? Kings Mills Hospital"
(Press release). Mercy Health. January 17, 2024
. Retrieved
April 24,
2024
.
- ^
Lesar, Al (December 30, 2012).
"Hall of Fame Curator Here from Beginning to End"
.
South Bend Tribune
. p. A1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Hall moving from South Bend to Atlanta"
. Associated Press. September 23, 2009
. Retrieved
March 2,
2013
.
- ^
"TICKER TAPE"
(PDF)
.
The Howey Political Report
.
3
(36). August 21, 1997
. Retrieved
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2019
.
- ^
"College Football Hall of Fame to close today in South Bend"
.
Newspapers.com
. The Times. December 30, 2012
. Retrieved
January 19,
2021
.
- ^
"Hall hoping to open new building in 2012"
.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
. Atlanta, Georgia:
Associated Press
. September 24, 2009
. Retrieved
March 2,
2013
.
- ^
"History of the Hall - College Football Hall of Fame"
.
www.cfbhall.com
. Retrieved
July 7,
2017
.
- ^
Lesar, Al (July 22, 2012).
"Hall to Be Gone by December"
.
South Bend Tribune
. Retrieved
July 24,
2012
.
- ^
"Hall hoping to open new building in 2012"
. September 24, 2009
. Retrieved
March 2,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"Stephenson to lead development of College Football Hall of Fame"
. Atlanta Business Chronicle. February 4, 2013
. Retrieved
May 14,
2013
.
- ^
"Interactivity at Core of Football Hall Design"
. Civil Engineering. March 19, 2013. Archived from
the original
on December 18, 2013
. Retrieved
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2013
.
- ^
"Slideshow: Jan. 28 groundbreaking set for College Football Hall of Fame"
. Atlanta Business Chronicle. December 31, 2012
. Retrieved
May 14,
2013
.
- ^
Stirgus, Eric.
"Protesters damage College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta"
.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
. Retrieved
May 30,
2020
.
- ^
Schlabach, Mark (May 30, 2020).
"College Football Hall of Fame damaged by protesters"
.
ESPN
. Retrieved
May 30,
2020
.
- ^
"Grier Family Announces Project And Celebrated Juneteenth In Atlanta"
.
menafn.com
.
- ^
"Grier Family Announces Project and Celebrated Juneteenth in Atlanta"
.
AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
.
- ^
"National Football Foundation - College Football Hall of Fame"
.
National Football Foundation
. Retrieved
February 21,
2017
.
- ^
"Goodyear Blimp Named Honorary Member of College Football Hall of Fame"
.
National Football Foundation
. January 7, 2019
. Retrieved
January 28,
2019
.
- ^
"NFF Announces Legendary 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class"
.
National Football Foundation
. January 7, 2019
. Retrieved
January 28,
2019
.
- ^
"Notre Dame Football 2021 Media Guide"
(PDF)
. University of Notre Dame. p. 1
. Retrieved
August 4,
2022
.
- ^
"USC Football 2021 Media Guide"
(PDF)
. University of Southern California. p. 157. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on October 25, 2021
. Retrieved
August 4,
2022
.
- ^
"Michigan Football 2021 Media Guide"
(PDF)
. University of Michigan. p. 168
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
"2023 Tennessee Volunteer Football College Football Hall of Fame"
. University of Tennessee. January 9, 2023
. Retrieved
January 9,
2023
.
- ^
"Ohio State 2021 Media Guide"
(PDF)
. Ohio State University. p. 120
. Retrieved
August 4,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Inductees - Football Players & Coaches"
. Atlanta Hall Management, Inc
. Retrieved
July 1,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Army West Point Football Media Guide"
(PDF)
. Army West Point. pp. 83?84
. Retrieved
July 1,
2019
.
- ^
"Oklahoma Football 2018 Media Guide"
(PDF)
. University of Oklahoma. p. 182
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Alabama Football Media Guide"
(PDF)
. University of Alabama. pp. 146?147
. Retrieved
July 1,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Navy Football - Navy Football Record Book"
(PDF)
. CBS Sports Digital. p. 145
. Retrieved
July 1,
2019
.
- ^
"Huskers in the College Football Hall of Fame"
. Nebraska Huskers
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Penn State Football Yearbook"
. issuu inc. August 4, 2018. pp. 259?261
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"College Football Hall of Fame"
. College Football Hall of Fame
. Retrieved
August 5,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Inductees - Football Players & Coaches"
. Atlanta Hall Management, Inc
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"Harvard Football Awards and Honors"
(PDF)
. Harvard University. p. 1
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"Stanford Football Record Book"
(PDF)
. Stanford University. p. 133
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Cal Football Record Book"
(PDF)
. University of California. p. 120
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Georgia Football Media Guide"
. University of Georgia. July 9, 2018. p. 195
. Retrieved
August 13,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Georgia Tech Football Media Guide"
(PDF)
. Georgia Tech. p. 204
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"Illinois Fighting Illini History"
(PDF)
. University of Illinois. p. 156
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"Badgers in the College Football Hall of Fame"
. University of Wisconsin
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Washington Football Information"
(PDF)
. University of Washington. p. 161
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"18 Northwestern FB Media Guide"
(PDF)
. Northwestern University. p. 113
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"Purdue Boilermakers College Football Hall Of Famers"
. Purdue University
. Retrieved
July 2,
2019
.
- ^
"NC State Football Media Guide 2022"
(PDF)
.
- ^
"2019 SMU Football Media Guide"
. Southern Methodist University. p. 168
. Retrieved
April 21,
2020
.
- ^
Leiker, Emily (January 9, 2023).
"Freeney becomes 10th SU player selected to College Football HOF"
.
Syracuse Post-Standard
. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
"NFF Announces Star-Studded 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class"
.
National Football Foundation
(Press release). January 9, 2023
. Retrieved
February 26,
2023
.
- ^
"2018 Texas A&M Aggies Football Media Guide"
(PDF)
. Texas A&M University. p. 177
. Retrieved
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2019
.
- ^
"2018 Iowa Football Media Guide"
(PDF)
. University of Iowa. p. 178. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on July 2, 2019
. Retrieved
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2019
.
- ^
"Three On College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot"
. University of Arkansas. June 4, 2018. p. 1
. Retrieved
August 17,
2019
.
- ^
"2018 Michigan State Spartans Football Media Guide"
(PDF)
. Michigan State University. p. 223
. Retrieved
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2019
.
- ^
"2019 Florida Gators Football Media Guide"
(PDF)
. University of Florida. p. 105
. Retrieved
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2019
.
- ^
"2Auburn in the College Football Hall of Fame"
. Auburn University Athletics
. Retrieved
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2020
.
- ^
"BC Football Hall of Famers"
.
Boston College Athletics
. January 9, 2023
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"BYU College Football Hall of Fame"
. BYU
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"NFF Announces Storied 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT"
. National Football Foundation. March 11, 2020
. Retrieved
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2020
.
- ^
"Leslie O'Neal Named to 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class"
. Cowboy Football. March 11, 2020
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"ROBERT DALE FENIMORE"
. Houston Chronicle. May 10, 2007
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Adrian Peterson Elected to College Football Hall of Fame - Georgia Southern University Athletics"
. Georgia Southern University
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Inductees - Football Players & Coaches - College Football Hall of Fame"
.
www.cfbhall.com
. Retrieved
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2017
.
- ^
"Inductees Selection Process"
.
College Football Hall of Fame
.
External links
[
edit
]
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