National Football Foundation

ACC Champion Florida State defeated Big East Champion Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl BCS National Championship Game, marking the Seminoles’ second MacArthur Bowl. Coached by College Football Hall of Famer Bobby Bowden, Florida State finished 12-0 after a 46-29 victory against the Hokies in the Sugar Bowl BCS National Championship Game. The 1999 Florida State team was the first in NCAA history to go "wire-to-wire," being ranked continuously as the nation's No. 1 team from the preseason through the bowl season. The 1999 Seminoles featured 2000 NFF National Scholar-Athlete and quarterback Chris Weinke, and 2001 NFF National Scholar-Athlete and safety Chris Hope.

Representing the pinnacle of team achievement in college sports, the trophy was the gift of an anonymous donor, who commissioned Tiffany & Co. to craft it from 400 ounces of silver, in honor of NFF founder General Douglas A. MacArthur. It took eight months to make, and the trophy features MacArthur's famous quote: "There is no substitute for victory."