College Football Hall of Fame

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College Football Hall of Fame front.

College Football Hall of Fame side entrance.

Blocking activity cage.

The College Football Hall of Fame, located in South Bend, Indiana, USA, is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. It is situated in the renovated downtown district, near convention centers and not far from the campus of Notre Dame.

The College Football Hall of Fame was established in 1951 by the National Football Foundation (NFF), which oversees the support, administration and operation of the College Football Hall of Fame.

1 Building
2 By the numbers
3 Criteria for induction
- 3.1 Criteria for player nominees
- 3.2 Criteria for coach nominees
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Building

The current building was constructed in 1995. The museum hall, located on the underground level, features memorials and memorabilia of great American football players and coaches of the past. A 14-minute video in the museum's Stadium Theater highlights the "thrills and pageantry" of college football.^[1] Interactive areas allow visitors to test their own speed, agility, and punting, passing and blocking skills. Video monitors replay historical games and plays. Busts of coaches and players enshrined in the Hall of Fame are located throughout the museum. The entrance-level floor features a gift shop and restaurant, as well as murals featuring hall-of-famers and significant moments in the history of college football. The exterior of the building features a 19,000-square foot space, named the Gridiron Plaza, that can be rented to host outdoor events.

Prior to moving to its current location, the College Football Hall of Fame was located adjacent to Kings Island in Kings Mills, Ohio, near Cincinnati.

[edit] By the numbers

As of 2006, there are 813 players enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, representing 186 institutions. Additionally, 174 coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The following institutions have had the greatest number of players inducted:

Institution	#	Last inductee
Notre Dame	41	2006
Michigan	28	2006
Southern California	27	2006
Yale	24	1997
Army	22	2004
Princeton	21	2002

Institution	#	Last inductee
Ohio State	20	2006
Tennessee	20	2006
Navy	19	2002
Pittsburgh	18	2006
Pennsylvania	17	2000
Harvard	17	1983

Institution	#	Last inductee
Minnesota	17	2006
Oklahoma	17	2006
Stanford	16	2006
Alabama	16	2006
Penn State	16	2006
Nebraska	14	2006

[edit] Criteria for induction

The National Football Foundation outlines specific criteria that may be used for evaluating a possible candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame. NFF members and the coaches, athletic directors, and sports information officials representing member schools may submit nominations for consideration. Nominees with the highest votes received from one of the eight District Screening Committees (DSC) located closest to the nominee's college or university are included on that year's ballot, which is distributed to all NFF dues-paying members. The selection of Hall of Fame inductees, however, ultimately is determined by the Foundation's Honor Court.

[edit] Criteria for player nominees

The nominee must have been selected to the first team of one or more major college football All-America teams.
The nomination must be submitted no earlier than ten years since the last year the nominee played intercollegiate football.
The nominee must exhibit demonstrated citizenship, "carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man with love of his country."^[2] Academic honors may also be considered.
The nominee must have played intercollegiate football no more than fifty years ago (although exceptions may be granted after review by the appropriate NFF committees).
The nominee must have ended his professional athletic career prior to the time of the nomination.

[edit] Criteria for coach nominees

The nominee must exhibit demonstrated citizenship, "carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man with love of his country."^[2]
The nominee must fit one of the following criteria:
1. Be retired from coaching for at least three years
2. Be at least 70 years old and retired
3. Be at least 75 years old
The nominee must have held a head coaching position at the collegiate level for at least ten years.
The nominee must hold at least a .600 career record over the course of 100 games or more.
The nominee must have ended his professional athletic coaching career prior to the time of the nomination.