PRINCETON, N.J. & IRVING, Texas (Dec. 3, 2024) – Continuing a partnership that began in 2010, the National Football Foundation (NFF) and the Ivy League will co-host the Asa S. Bushnell Cup announcement, presented by Bruin Capital, on Dec. 16 in the iconic Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center.

Cornell senior quarterback Jameson Wang, Harvard junior wide receiver Cooper Barkate and Penn sophomore running back Malachi Hosley are the Offensive Player of the Year finalists. Columbia senior defensive back Hayden McDonald, Dartmouth senior defensive lineman Ejike Adele and Harvard junior defensive back Ty Bartrum are the Defensive Player of the Year finalists.

The six Ivy finalists will travel to New York City for the presentation, where the Asa S. Bushnell Cup will be presented to the Ivy League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. Additionally, the Coaching Staff of the Year will be announced at the ceremony. College GameDay host, and longtime ESPN on-air personality Rece Davis, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The event is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET with doors opening at that time. Business attire is required. For information on attending, please email Debbie Okle at dokle@footballfoundation.com.

Presented annually since 1970, the Asa S. Bushnell Cup honors its namesake, a 1921 Princeton alumnus and the commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference from 1938 to 1970. The Bushnell Cup is awarded by a vote of the Ivy League's eight head football coaches to the players who display outstanding qualities of leadership, competitive spirit, contribution to the team and accomplishments on the field.
 
From 1970 to 2010, the Bushnell Cup recognized an Ivy League Player of the Year (or co-Players of the Year if there was a tie in voting). In 2011, the Ivy League began recognizing both an offensive and a defensive player of the year. Beginning with the 2010 season, the Ivy League and the NFF have partnered at the end of the season to present the award. Click here for more information about the award and its connection to the National Football Foundation, including a list of past winners.

The Bushnell Cup Presentation will follow the NFF's 66th Annual Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas! on Tuesday, Dec. 10. As the culmination of the regular season, the event provides the stage for the induction of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Classes and honoring the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN+ beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Wang accounted for 3033 yards of total offense with 2533 through the air and 500 on the ground. His 303.3 yards per game ranked fifth in the FCS. The El Segundo, Calif., native had 31 touchdowns with 24 passing and seven rushing to lead the FCS with 18.8 points responsible for per game. His 8775 career yards of total offense ranks fourth all-time in Ivy League history.
 
Barkate recorded 63 catches for 1084 yards and 11 touchdowns to help lead the Crimson to a second consecutive Ivy title. The Newport Beach, Calif., product eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark in five of the seven league games. He ranked second nationally in receiving yards per game with 108.4. Barkate had four games with two touchdown receptions and registered at least 76 receiving yards in all 10 contests.
 
Hosley rushed for 1192 yards and nine touchdowns on 191 attempts and added 89 receiving yards on 12 catches. The Columbus, Ga., native ranked fourth in the FCS in rushing yards per game with an average of 119.2 and his 6.24 yards per carry ranked 16th. Hosley became just the 11th player in league history to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark in seven games in a single season.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
McDonald anchored the Lions defense that led the program to its first Ivy title since 1961. Columbia ranked third nationally in scoring defensing limiting opponents to an average 16.1. The Seattle native posted a league-high five picks, good to rank second nationally in interceptions per game. He was second on the team in tackles with 68 and had seven pass breakups.
 
Adele led the Big Green defensive unit that ranked seventh nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 105.7 per game, on its way to earning its fourth Ivy title in the last five seasons. The Atlanta product led the Ivy League in tackles for loss with 12.0 and was third in sacks with 6.0. He was tied for second on the team with 54 total tackles in addition to recording three quarterback hurries and fumble recovery.
 
Bartrum was third in the Ivy League in total tackles with 82, which included 44 solo stops. The Pomeroy, Ohio, native posted 5.0 tackles for loss, including 1.5 tackles for loss. He recorded his second career touchdown on an 88-yard scoop-and-score against Holy Cross and had an interception that he returned 29 yards versus Princeton. Bartrum helped lead the Crimson to a second consecutive Ivy League title.

ABOUT BRUIN CAPITAL
Bruin Capital was founded in 2015 by George Pyne, a Brown University graduate and All-Ivy League Offensive Lineman for the then-Bruins. Bruin is a private company that partners with businesses spanning the global sports ecosystem. Its operating companies operate worldwide and have thousands of employees and offices on four continents. They connect millions of consumers to sports via emerging technologies, original content, live events, platforms, gaming, and premium experiences on behalf of more than 500 blue chip federations, leagues, brands, and rights holders.
 
ABOUT THE IVY LEAGUE
The Ivy League stands at the pinnacle of higher education and Division I athletics, rooted in the longstanding, defining principle that intercollegiate athletics competition should be "kept in harmony with the essential educational purposes of the institution." The League's world-renowned schools - Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale - serve as the standard bearers for inspiring and transforming student-athletes to boldly take on the world's challenges and lead lives of great impact. For more information, please visit IvyLeague.com.
 
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & Hatchell Cup presented by the Original Bob's Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Bruin Capital, Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Hanold Associates Executive Search, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter@NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.