Touchdown for Teachers: Making an Impact During Bowl Season

During bowl season, the College Football Playoff Foundation and ESPN once again teamed up to champion both teachers and coaches nationwide through the Touchdowns for Teachers program. Each postseason, this program celebrates teachers while delivering meaningful resources to classrooms thanks to grants matched by college bowl games across the country, as well as unique in-game activations.

For each touchdown scored in bowl games and College Football Playoff games in 2025-26, the CFP Foundation and ESPN made a $1,000 donation to teachers and coaches in the 12 respective local CFP school markets and in bowl game host communities. These funds were designated specifically for health, sports, and fitness resources to help students stay active, engaged, and well.

The program also included a special expansion of support to include the 12 college communities whose teams qualified for the College Football Playoff. On Friday, December 19, teachers and coaches in each of these 12 markets were surprised with $20,000 in DonorsChoose “flash funding” to fulfill classroom project wish lists focused on health, sports, and fitness.

“We’re very excited to be able to help great teachers in each of these college communities which qualified for the College Football Playoff,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “Our mission to support and celebrate K–12 teachers nationwide continues to grow.”

Educators from these 12 communities were also honored on the field during the CFP first-round games on December 19 and 20.

In Oklahoma City, near the University of Oklahoma campus, the impact doubled. In partnership with the CFP Foundation, the OKCPS Foundation matched a $20,000 donation to fund 86 teacher projects—totaling $40,000—supporting sports, health, and wellness initiatives across local schools.

Together, these efforts ensured every touchdown translated into real wins for teachers and students alike.