IRVING, Texas (Nov. 5, 2025) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame today announced a new partnership with the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. The collaboration will annually celebrate the NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class through the creation of a commemorative bourbon, which will be auctioned as a collector's item during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas.
 
The initiative will launch at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at the Bellagio Resort & Casino with a limited-edition bottle of Wild Cask Kentucky Bourbon produced by the Beam Institute's student-led distillation program. The bottle will be etched with the names of all 22 members of the 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class and will be part of the event's silent auction, serving as both a collector's item and a symbol of the new alliance between the NFF and the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
 
"This partnership perfectly blends two of America's greatest creations – college football and Kentucky bourbon – as part of our annual auction," said National Football Foundation President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Working with the University of Kentucky and the James B. Beam Institute creates a new platform to annually celebrate the NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductees while enhancing educational opportunities for students at the University of Kentucky and raising funds for our scholarship programs."
 
The James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits, housed within the University of Kentucky's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is a pioneering academic center that trains the next generation of leaders in the distilled spirits industry. Each year, 250 students in its capstone distillation and marketing courses bring products from concept to market, which includes everything from creating a label, mastering the complex regulatory process, managing brand identity and much more. The proceeds go back into the JBI Student Success Program, supporting scholarships and research. The new collaboration will provide JBI students with the opportunity to engage directly with the NFF's national platform, contributing to the design and marketing of future annual commemorative bottles that celebrate each year's NFF Hall of Fame class.
 
"We are thrilled to collaborate with the National Football Foundation," said Dr. Seth DeBolt, Director of the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits. "Our students will gain real-world experience in brand development, compliance, and product design — all while honoring college football's storied legacy and creating an educational opportunity for our students. Our goal is to unleash a generation of commercial entrepreneurs who can go out there and sell whiskey, not just make it, and this new partnership provides them with a new tool to sharpen their skills and get ready for the real world."
 
The partnership will also celebrate the rich connections between college football and the bourbon industry, including Booker Noe, the grandson of Jim Beam and founder of his own signature bourbon, Booker's True Barrel Bourbon. Noe, who became the first true star of the bourbon world and its first "Master Distiller," played for NFF College Football Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at Kentucky.
 
The first etched bottle — featuring the 22 names of the 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductees — will be displayed and auctioned at the 2025 NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas, marking the official launch of the partnership. Proceeds from the initiative will help support both NFF scholarship programs and student success initiatives at the University of Kentucky.
 
About The James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits
The James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits at the University of Kentucky was established to ensure the welfare and advancement of Kentucky's signature spirits industry through education, research, and workforce development. Serving more than 250 students annually, the Institute trains future distillers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to lead across the global beverage industry. Learn more at The James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits.
 
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 journalist Grantland Rice, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) is a nonprofit organization that leverages the power of amateur football to build leaders. With 120 chapters in 47 states, the NFF oversees initiatives such as the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, the William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments, Future For Football, and I Played. Learn more at footballfoundation.org and follow @NFFNetwork on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.