IRVING, Texas (Sept. 2, 2026) – The University of Washington and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame electee Chris Petersen with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments. The Salute will take place on Sept. 6, during the Huskies' home football game against Washington State, which will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.
"Chris Petersen restored Washington to its place among the nation's elite, winning two Pac-12 championships, reaching three New Year's Six bowls and leading the Huskies to the College Football Playoff," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "His impact in Seattle went well beyond wins and championships, and we are thrilled to honor him at Husky Stadium as a member of the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class."
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day, these singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the NFF Hall of Fame experience.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept an NFF Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many NFF Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them with one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.
Chris Petersen established himself as one of the most innovative and successful coaches of his era, compiling a 147-38 career record and winning 79.5 percent of his games across 14 seasons as the head coach at Boise State and then at Washington. Petersen arrived in Seattle after becoming the winningest coach in Boise State history. At Washington, Petersen continued his success, leading the Huskies to a 55-26 record from 2014-19, two Pac-12 championships and a College Football Playoff appearance in the 2016 Peach Bowl. Click here for his full NFF Hall of Fame bio.
The Yuba City, California, native now becomes the fifth Washington coach inducted into the NFF Hall of Fame, joining Gil Dobie, Don James, Jim Phelan and Darrell Royal. A total of 11 Washington players have been inducted: George Wilson (1923-25), Chuck Carroll (1926-28), Paul Schwegler (1929-31), Max Starcevich (1934-36), Vic Markov (1935-37), Hugh McElhenny (1949-51), Don Heinrich (1949-50, 1952), Bob Schloredt (1958-60), Rick Redman (1962-64), Steve Emtman (1989-91), and Lincoln Kennedy (1989-92).
Members of the 2026 class include Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire), Ki-Jana Carter (Penn State), Bruce Collie (Texas at Arlington), George Cumby (Oklahoma), Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh), Marvin Harrison (Syracuse), Garrison Hearst (Georgia), Chris Hudson (Colorado), Mark Ingram (Alabama), Olin Kreutz (Washington), James Laurinaitis (Ohio State), Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), Herman Moore (Virginia), Terence Newman (Kansas State), Bob Novogratz (Army West Point), Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska), Peter Warrick (Florida State), Eric Weddle (Utah), and coaches Jim Margraff (Johns Hopkins [MD]), Gary Patterson (TCU), Chris Petersen (Boise State, Washington), and Ken Sparks (Carson-Newman [TN]).
The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Please click here to purchase tickets.
Including the 2026 NFF Hall of Fame Class, only 1,129 players have been inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.7 million who have played the game during the past 158 years. From the coaching ranks, 241 individuals have achieved NFF Hall of Fame distinction. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (0.02%) of the individuals who have played/coached the game have earned this distinction.
Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and their joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country.
ABOUT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS
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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.
