IRVING, Texas (September 17, 2026) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that it will again partner with Sports Business Journal (SBJ) to advance the national conversation about the future of college athletics through the 2026 SBJ Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, Dec. 8-9 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The Forum will coincide with the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, scheduled for Dec. 8 at Bellagio Resort & Casino.
 
The Forum draws more than 450 of the top people from the world of collegiate sports, including NCAA leadership, university presidents, conference commissioners, athletics directors, media partners and corporate sponsors. The partnership aligns with the NFF's mission to promote and protect the game by ensuring the Foundation has a voice in the conversations shaping the future of college athletics. The Forum has become the premier event for intercollegiate athletics stakeholders to openly examine and candidly debate the numerous and complex issues surrounding college sports while providing valuable networking opportunities. The first day of the Forum will conclude with the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, extending the day's conversations and bringing together college sports leaders in a unique setting to continue building relationships and discussing the future of intercollegiate athletics.

"We are excited to again partner with the National Football Foundation in staging the SBJ Intercollegiate Athletics Forum," said Sports Business Journal Publisher & Executive Editor Abraham Madkour. "The NFF has remained a powerful force for nearly eight decades in highlighting the life-long opportunities that college athletics create for the tens of thousands of student-athletes who participate each year, and they are an important voice in the collegiate landscape, making them a great partner for this event."

The 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, which will serve as the culmination of the college football regular season, is highlighted by the induction of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class. At the event, the NFF will honor the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments, with each honoree receiving an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and vying as a finalist for the NFF William V. Campbell Trophy® as the top college football scholar-athlete in the nation.

The 2026 Forum also marks the 12^th year that a NFF Campbell Trophy® finalist will participate in a panel at the event. Plans are in the works to have two finalists appear during a Dec. 9 panel with two other current student-athletes from other sports, offering their insights on the challenges and opportunities of being a student-athlete in today's environment.

"The Intercollegiate Athletics Forum brings together the leaders making consequential decisions about the future of college sports," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The National Football Foundation has a responsibility to ensure football and the values it instills remain central to that conversation. We are proud to continue our partnership with Sports Business Journal and especially pleased that our Campbell Trophy finalists will have a voice in these discussions. These remarkable young leaders represent the very best of college athletics and offer a perspective that is essential as the industry charts its path forward."
 
The 2026 NFF Campbell Trophy® finalists will be announced Oct. 21, and the winner of the Campbell Trophy® will be announced live at the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8. 

Click here for additional program details and registration information for the 2026 Forum.
 
Click here for more on the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, including ticket information, travel rates from Delta Air Lines and the Bellagio Resort & Casino.