IRVING, Texas (Jan. 10, 2024) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame salutes the College Football Playoff (CFP) and its staff, led by CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock, for their exceptional efforts in staging the 10th CFP National Championship. The organization also congratulates the Houston College Football Playoff National Championship Host Committee for their hospitality in organizing multiple first-class events.
"The CFP has produced a fabulous decade of memories and experiences for countless players, coaches and fans," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "The CFP National Championship has truly become one of the most compelling gatherings in all of sports, significantly expanding the interest in college football, and the game's success is a testament to our country's love of college football. Bill Hancock and the CFP staff each year have successfully transformed an entire city into a magnificent showcase for college football, highlighting everything right with our great game as well as the region's unique local assets."
"I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to congratulate Bill on his retirement. He has been a great friend to the NFF and everyone in college football, and we took great pleasure in presenting him with the NFF Outstanding Contributions to Amateur Football Award in December, which was richly deserved. Bill's leadership leaves a lasting legacy, including the expansion of the playoffs to a 12-team format, which promises to add a whole new level of excitement, and we look forward to working with Lieutenant General Richard Clark as he works to build on the path that Bill has helped forge."
A sellout crowd of 72,808 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, witnessed No. 1 Michigan (15-0) claim an impressive 34-13 win against No. 2 Washington (14-1) Jan. 8, giving the Wolverines their first national title since 1997 and the school's first outright title since 1948. Michigan, headed by Coach Jim Harbaugh, now joins Alabama (3), Clemson (2), Georgia (2), LSU (1) and Ohio State (1) as the only programs that have claimed a national title in the CFP era. The Wolverines' 15 victories also mark the most wins by a school in Big Ten history and only the sixth time in history that a team has achieved 15-wins.
Michigan running back Blake Corum rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns to claim the game's offensive MVP honors. Wolverine defensive back Will Johnson was named Defensive MVP. Other key Michigan contributors included Donovan Edwards who added 104 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed 10 passes for 140 yards and rushed for 31 yards. Defensive back Mike Sainristil, who led the team with eight tackles, sealed the victory with an interception returned 81 yards with just 3:53 remaining in the game.
ESPN reported the game generated a Nielsen-measured audience of 25 million viewers as part of ESPN's MegaCast presentation, placing the game in the top 15 cable telecasts of all-time. The 25 million viewers scored the largest audience in four years and 45% jump from last year's 17.2 million viewers. The three-game CFP playoffs, which included the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl, averaged 23.6 million viewers, a 15% increase from last year and again notching the most-viewed series in four years. On New Year's Day, the CFP Semifinals, plus the New Year's Six games, averaged 8.5 million viewers, producing the fourth most watched-day on ESPN in the 45-year history of cable network.
"The whole picture, the championship game, the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the New Year's Six, are a fabulous showcase for college football," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "And the impact on the local community, , is a great testament to popularity and power of college football. We are extremely grateful to the Houston host committee, Bill Hancock, the CFP staff and the volunteers for delivering a first-class experience. We know that they sacrificed incalculable hours with their families and endured many sleepless nights to ensure an exceptional experience for the fans."
Using the national spotlight of the game, the CFP honored Oregon QB Bo Nix, the 2023 recipient of the NFF William V. Campbell Trophy®, airing a video profiling his accomplishments as a scholar-athlete between the first and second quarters on the video boards. The CFP also supported the announcement of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class with a special salute during the third quarter with 2024 electee Steve Hutchinson, who was on hand to support his alma mater Michigan, on the field representing the entire class. Earlier in the day, the official announcement of the 2024 class was announced live from the field at NRG Stadium during ESPN's "Championship Drive Presented by Allstate."
The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted at the National Football Foundation's 66th Annual Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas on Tuesday December 10 at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. For more information, go to footballfoundation.org.
The class includes Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State), Paul Cameron (UCLA), Tim Couch (Kentucky), Warrick Dunn (Florida State), Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State), Deon Figures (Colorado), Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh), Toby Gerhart (Stanford), Dan Hampton (Arkansas), Steve Hutchinson (Michigan), Antonio Langham (Alabama), Randy Moss (Marshall), Julius Peppers (North Carolina), Paul Posluszny (Penn State), Dewey Selmon (Oklahoma), Alex Smith (Utah), Kevin Smith (Texas A&M), Chris Ward (Ohio State), Danny Woodhead (Chadron State [NE]), and coaches Mark Dantonio (Cincinnati, Michigan State); Danny Hale (West Chester [PA], Bloomsburg [PA]); and Frank Solich (Nebraska, Ohio).
The College Football Playoff has announced that it will transition to a 12-team playoff format this season with the first-round games taking place Dec. 20-21, quarterfinals Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 9-10 and CFP National Championship Monday, January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
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