NFF Hampshire Honor Society
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society is chosen annually and comprised of college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers. The program further strengthens the organization’s leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must be either:
- A senior player, who will graduate this spring/summer, and just completed his final year of playing eligibility in 2024; or
- A graduated player or grad transfer, who has already earned a bachelor’s degree and competed in the 2024 season (even if the player has remaining eligibility and may return to play next season).
And must have:
- Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale); and
- Been starters or contributors throughout the 2024 season.
A record 2,536 players from 341 schools qualified for membership in 2025, marking the largest class in the program's 19-year history. Since its inception, the initiative has honored 20,950 student-athletes.
Twenty-three colleges and universities have had at least one player in all 19 years of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society (2007-25), including BYU, Brown, Bucknell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Dayton, Iowa, Johns Hopkins (MD), Kentucky, Lafayette, Minnesota, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Penn State, Redlands (CA), Saint John’s (MN), SMU, South Dakota State, Wayne State (MI), West Virginia, Wingate (NC), Yale and Youngstown State.
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at the 774 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
The Hampshire Honor Society represents an important component in the organization's rich history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal, which began in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.
Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the endowment to launch the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007. He made the contribution as part of his legacy to the organization after serving as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006, and he currently serves the organization as chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this Honor Society receives a certificate commemorating their achievement.
As NFF Chairman for 12 years, Hanson transformed the organization with new procedures for governance and management. His many initiatives included spearheading an endowment campaign for the NFF’s prestigious National Scholar-Athlete Awards and opening up the College Football Hall of Fame to include players and coaches from the divisional ranks.
Under Hanson’s leadership and entrepreneurial spirit, The Hampshire Companies has created a national real estate portfolio of more than $2.5 billion in assets under management. In 2005, the NFF honored him with its Gold Medal, the organization’s highest honor, for his contributions to our country and college football.
###
