The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, which began with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, have become a hallowed tradition, and to this day, the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in each electee’s Hall of Fame experience.

During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept a 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 Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.

“Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is the ultimate achievement in our sport, and the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute tradition allows us to bring each inductee back to their alma mater for a truly memorable experience,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We look forward to celebrating the storied careers of each year's Hall of Fame Class with the tens of thousands of fans who will witness an on-campus salute.”

The inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class was announced in 1951, but the First NFF Annual Awards Dinner did not take place until 1958. For the first five Hall of Fame Classes (1951, 1954-57), the On-Campus Salutes served as the biggest celebration for each new inductee. Because the 1951 Class was so large - 32 players and 22 coaches - the first On-Campus Salutes were spread out over a couple of years.

Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education, 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 a joint commitment to higher education. 

2025 NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes,
Presented by Fidelity Investments
(Chronological Order)

Date – Honoree – School (Opponent)
 
Aug. 28: Coach Urban Meyer, Bowling Green (vs. Lafayette)
Aug. 30: Coach Larry Korver, Northwestern [IA] (vs. Waldorf [IA])
Aug. 30: Terrence Metcalf, Ole Miss (vs. Georgia State)
Sept. 6: Darrin Smith, Miami [FL] (vs. Bethune-Cookman)
Sept. 13: Blake Elliott, Saint John's [MN] (vs. Minnesota-Morris)
Sept. 13: John Henderson, Tennessee (vs. Georgia)
Oct. 4: Alex Mack, California (vs. Duke)
Oct. 4: Coach Larry Blakeney, Troy (vs. South Alabama)
Oct. 11: Montee Ball, Wisconsin (vs. Iowa)
Oct. 17: Greg Eslinger, Minnesota (vs. Nebraska)
Oct. 18: Terry Hanratty, Notre Dame (vs. USC)
Oct. 25: Graham Harrell, Texas Tech (vs. Oklahoma State)
Oct. 25: Ryan Yarborough, Wyoming (vs. Colorado State)
Nov. 8: Jim Kleinsasser, North Dakota (vs. North Dakota State)
Nov. 8: Steve Slaton, West Virginia (vs. Colorado)
Nov. 14: Haloti Ngata, Oregon (vs. Minnesota)
Nov. 22: Michael Huff, Texas (vs. Arkansas)
Nov. 22: Coach Urban Meyer, Florida (vs. Tennessee)
Nov. 29: Gregg Carr, Auburn (vs. Alabama)
TBD: Michael Strahan, Texas Southern
TBD: Dennis Thurman, USC
TBD: Michael Vick, Virgina Tech
TBD: Coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State, Utah
TBD: Coach Nick Saban, Alabama, LSU, Michigan State, Toldeo