National Football Foundation

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame recognized Ohio State (14-1) as the recipient of the 2014 NFF MacArthur Bowl, following their 42-20 victory against Oregon (13-2) in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The game took place before a sold-out crowd of 85,689 fans on Jan. 12, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Ohio State’s name will be etched alongside the greatest teams in college football history on the MacArthur Bowl, which is housed at the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. 

The NFF formally presented Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer with the MacArthur Bowl during a ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on April 26, 2015. ESPN broadcaster Brad Nessler emceed the event, which included remarks from Coach Meyer, NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell and College Football Hall of Fame President & CEO John Stephenson. Coach Meyer accepted the award on behalf of his Ohio State football team in front of an audience full of excited Buckeye fans. 

“On behalf of the Ohio State University I want to thank Chick-fil-A…obviously the National Football Foundation and Steve [Hatchell] and then this beautiful Hall of Fame for having us here,” said Coach Meyer. “It should be a tradition for the head coach to come celebrate at this incredible facility with fans. I want to thank our players, we had an incredible group and they should be here. They are part of history. We really try to develop a program where the players love each other and it’s a family atmosphere…The 2014 Buckeyes, that was a real team. How did they overcome adversity? Because they cared for each other. I’m honored to be here and on behalf of Ohio State, my football players and coaching staff to accept this incredible award. It has incredible history and we’ll forever be grateful to be on the side of this beautiful trophy.” 

“On behalf of the National Football Foundation, our 12,000 members, our board of directors and Chairman Archie Manning, we are extremely proud to recognize Coach Meyer and Ohio State University as MacArthur Bowl recipients for the school's fourth time,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “This trophy was started in 1959 by General Douglas MacArthur and legendary Hall of Fame coach Red Blaik, and etched on the side of this stadium replica in silver are all of the subsequent national champions. It is an honor to recognize the Buckeyes, who capped off a spectacular year by winning the inaugural College Football Playoff. As the keepers of the history and the legacy of the sport of football, we are exceptionally pleased to continue the tradition of presenting our fabled trophy at its home in the College Football Hall of Fame."

From 1998 until 2013, the winner of the BCS National Championship Game was automatically declared the winner of the MacArthur Bowl. Prior to 1998 during the poll era of college football, The NFF Awards and MacArthur Bowl committees selected the winner of the trophy. Three other organizations, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), The Associated Press (AP) and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), also presented trophies during the BCS and poll years.

With the advent of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system in 2014, college football has entered a new era, and the sport has a new trophy, the CFP National Championship Trophy, presented by Dr Pepper. Both the CFP trophy and the MacArthur Bowl are on display at the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, which was opened to the public on Aug. 23, 2014. The CFP Trophy was presented last night on the field after the national championship game, and the NFF will add Ohio State’s name to the MacArthur Bowl at the Hall in the near future. 

With the win, Ohio State claims the MacArthur Bowl for the fourth time in the school’s history. The Buckeyes won the MacArthur Bowl in 1968 and 1970 under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Woody Hayes. They also claimed the trophy in 2002 under head coach Jim Tressel, who was announced as a member of the 2015 College Football Hall of Fame Class on Jan. 9, 2015. Coach Meyer was presented with the MacArthur Bowl twice as the head coach of the University of Florida in 2006 and 2008, and now joins Alabama head coach Nick Saban as the only coaches in history to win a national championship at two different schools. A team in the current Big Ten has now claimed the trophy 13 times.