National Football Foundation

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame recognized Alabama (13-1) as the recipient of the 2017 NFF MacArthur Bowl Championship Trophy following its 26-23 victory over Georgia (13-2) in the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship before a sold-out crowd of 77,430 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.

The 2017 Crimson Tide will be etched alongside the greatest teams in college football history for an unprecedented ninth time overall on the MacArthur Bowl Championship Trophy, which is housed at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. An event honoring the team will take place at the Hall during the spring.

"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 Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "This trophy was started in 1959 by General Douglas MacArthur, the great sports writer Grantland Rice and legendary coach Red Blaik, and etched on the side of this stadium replica in all silver are all of the subsequent national champions. As the keepers of the history and the legacy of the sport of football, we are exceptionally pleased to etch this Alabama team on its walls."

Alabama was led by freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who came off the bench to start the second half, throwing a 41-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith for the overtime victory. Tagovailoa went 14-of-24 for 166 yards and three touchdowns as the game's offensive MVP while also rushing 12 times for 27 yards. Alabama defensive tackle Da'Ron Payne registered six tackles, collecting Defensive Player of the Game MVP honors.

With the win, Alabama extends its record by claiming the MacArthur Bowl for an unprecedented ninth time in the school's history. The Crimson Tide won the MacArthur Bowl in 1961, 1978 and 1979 under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, in 1992 under Hall of Fame head coach Gene Stallings, and in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 under Saban. Saban also won the MacArthur Bowl as the head coach at LSU in 2003, giving him the record for most MacArthur Bowls won by a coach with six. A team in the current SEC has now claimed the trophy 17 times.

Presented to every national champion since 1959, the MacArthur Bowl represents the pinnacle of team achievement in college sports, and each year during its 59-year history a new name has been etched alongside the greatest teams of all time. The trophy, a replica of a football stadium, features archways with space to engrave the names of 100 teams and miniature goal posts. The trophy was the gift of an anonymous donor, who commissioned Tiffany & Co. to craft it from 400 ounces of silver, in honor of early NFF leader General Douglas MacArthur. It took eight months to make, and the trophy features MacArthur's famous quote: "There is no substitute for victory."

Twenty-four different schools have claimed the trophy at least once during its 59-year history. Alabama has hoisted it the most, claiming it nine times. Notre Dame is second with five wins while Ohio State, Miami (Fla.), Southern California and Texas have each etched their names four times on the trophy. Florida, Florida State, Nebraska and Oklahoma each boast being three-time recipients. Clemson, LSU, Michigan State and Penn State have each won the trophy twice.