COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AND CITY OF ATLANTA PREPARING TO HOST COMPLETE WEEKEND OF EVENTS AROUND 2025 CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
ATLANTA – More than 100,000 local residents, plus visitors from across the country, are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff of the2025 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship. At a news conference today at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School in Atlanta, planswere revealed for a “Championship Campus” experience that will transform the region into a three-day celebration of college football.
"An entire weekend of fun activities will precede Monday, January 20,2025, when the College Football Playoff National Championship will bedecided," said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP. "It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it. We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January."
"We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP National Championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January," said Dan Corso, president, Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city and the event's impact will be felt long after the final whistle blows through the work of
teachers across our state who work tirelessly to guide students to brighter futures."
The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship will be decided at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, January 20, but the celebration will get started Saturday, January 18, with the opening of Playoff Fan Central at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free family-friendly interactive experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits
celebrating college football and its history.
Downtown Atlanta will be home to one of the country's largest annual traveling music festivals, AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!, which will also begin on Saturday, January 18. Each year, the star-studded event attracts some of music's top acts. Past talent has included Jack Harlow, Latto, the Jonas Brothers, Saweetie, Pitbull, Twenty One Pilots, Doja Cat, Meghan Trainor, Usher, The Chainsmokers, Darius Rucker, Flo Rida, John Mellencamp, Sting and Lenny Kravitz, among others. This year's talent lineup and dates will be announced at a later date.
On Saturday, January 18, fans are also invited to attend Media Day within Playoff Fan Central at the Georgia World Congress Center. A free event, Media Day will feature one-hour interview sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff National Championship participating teams, where fans are provided with the unique opportunity to watch and listen in.
On Sunday, January 19, the Trophy Trot will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. The Trophy Trot will feature races at both
the 5K and 10K distances, offering a chance for locals as well as out-of-town fans to take part in national championship weekend. Each Trophy
Trot participant will receive a t-shirt and finisher’s medal. More information, including how to register, will be made available soon.
Sunday evening, Taste of the Championship will serve up a foodie's delight at the Georgia Aquarium, offering attendees the opportunity to indulge in gourmet food and drink prepared by chefs local to Atlanta and the community hosting the 2025 national championship game. This premium dining experience serves as a unique and elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship game. More information, including how to buy tickets, will be made available in the fall.
In addition to all the fan activities taking place in Atlanta around the national championship game, the CFP Foundation is already hard at work making an impact in classrooms across the state. Each year, the CFP Foundation develops a comprehensive strategy to support teachers within the local community of the CFP National Championship host. The CFP Foundation and its Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) platform works in partnership with local institutions of higher education, sports organizations, corporations, and nonprofits to elevate the teaching profession by supporting educators and helping improve student outcomes.
The CFP Foundation will put Georgia teachers in the spotlight throughout national championship weekend with a series of events and activities aimed at honoring and empowering educators. The Extra Yard for Teachers Summit, slated for Saturday, January 18, is a gathering of teachers from across the state who come together for high energy and relevant professional development and to hear inspiring speakers who recognize the hard work of those on the front lines of educating students. Past speakers and presenters have included Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education; Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State; Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org; Desmond Howard, ESPN college football analyst; Holly Rowe, ESPN college football sideline reporter; Carl Lewis, nine-time Olympic gold medalist, and many more. The 2025 event willoffer in-person (for local educators) and virtual live and on-demand options for teachers across the country to attend the event at no cost. Registration for both the in-person event and online options will open in the coming months at CFP-Foundation.org.
The CFP Foundation and Atlanta Football Host Committee (AFHC) have also launched the Georgia Teachers Initiative (GTI) to celebrate, support, engage, connect and provide resources to PK-12 teachers through a newly-developed statewide platform and community. Together with GTI, the city of Atlanta and the CFP Foundation look to build on the $4 million collective investment since the 2018 national championship game while expanding the legacy impact to teachers across the state of Georgia with a goal of reaching one-third of all educators statewide (over 100,000) by kickoff of the 2025 national championship game.
The GTI will support Georgia educators through a multi-million dollar financial investment in education via resources, grants and recognition activities, including the ones announced today:
• $100,000 in DonorsChoose reources that will fund classroom projects in over 550 schools in nearly 90 counties across Georgia
• An additional $100,000 commitment to support the continuation of Atlanta Mayor Dickens’ “ATL YEAR OF THE YEAR” initiative, which
· is aimed at providing safe spaces, as well as investments in early childhood education and workforce development programs
• Awarding “Innovation Grants,” which will be awarded multiple times throughout the year
• The launch of a weekly “teacher spotlight” that will include a $1,000 DonorsChoose gift card that those recognized teachers can use
· for classroom resources
Additionally, the newly-launched GeorgiaTeachersInitiative.org serves as a hub for Georgia’s PK-12 educators, who can sign up now to join the online community in order to stay up-to-date on the latest resources, events, giveaways, upcoming events and more.
“The work we do in schools and supporting educators across the host region are the legacy of these championships in the local community,” said Britton Banowsky, Executive Director, College Football Playoff Foundation. “The CFP Foundation works closely with the organizing committee and educators to design a meaningful impact strategy that maximizes the opportunities and meets the highest needs of the community.”
The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship will take place on Monday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.
For more information on the College Football Playoff and the 2025 CFP National Championship, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com. To learn more about supporting local efforts and the Atlanta Sports Council/Atlanta Football Host Committee, visit ATLCFP2025.com.
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About the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The CFP Selection Committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the season, and the 12 playoff participants consist of the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams. The four highest ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The schools seeded five through eight will host those seeded nine through 12 in first-round games. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year's quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and January 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be January 9-10, 2025. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com.
About the College Football Playoff Foundation
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving as the community engagement arm of the College Football Playoff and works in partnership with institutions of higher education, sports organizations, corporations and non-profits to support educators and improve student outcomes. The purpose of the CFP Foundation lies in supporting PK-12 education by elevating the teaching profession. The CFP Foundation inspires and empowers educators by focusing its work in four areas: recognition, resources, recruitment and retention, and professional development. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social
media.
About the Atlanta Football Host Committee
Formed in 2016 under the Championship Hosting Division of the Atlanta Sports Council, the Atlanta Football Host Committee (AFHC) serves as an extension of the College Football Playoff in the local community. The organization is responsible for assisting with the planning and production of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship and accompanying fan events. The AFHC is comprised of local leaders in business, sports and tourism and its mission is to host a one-of-a-kind championship experience for student-athletes, university representatives, media and college football fans. For more information, visit ATLCFP2025.com.