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In the inaugural season of college football’s new four-team playoff, the winner of the 2014-15 National Championship will be presented with a new championship trophy to symbolize the start of a new era in the sport.
College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock was excited about the direction taken in determining national champions from this year on:
“The College Football Playoff marks the beginning of a new era and we are thrilled to present this iconic new national championship trophy. This fall, thousands of athletes will lace up, with the goal of winning it all. We look forward to seeing our champion hoist this one-of-a-kind piece of art which will represent the highest level of team achievement in college football.”
The 1st recipient of the new championship trophy will be determined tonight when the No. 2 ranked Oregon Ducks play the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes for the National Championship.
Here else is what you need to know about the trophy:
1.The New Trophy Was Unveiled During the Summer
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The trophy was unveiled on July 14, 2014.
Here is a video from CollegeFootballPlayoff.com of the revealing.
2.The Trophy Is Prestigious and Designed so That Recipients Will Have an Easy Time Holding It
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According to the details on the creation of the trophy on CollegeFootballPlayoff.com:
Created by the legendary international design consultancy, Pentagram, the trophy was then commissioned and handcrafted by the master fine art foundry, Polich Tallix, in Rock Tavern, New York. Expert craftsmen at the foundry worked for three months, combining cutting edge technologies with timeless metal casting and finishing techniques to create the trophy.
The old design of the trophy was a crystal football, that was exactly the size of a regular football. The trophy was easy to hold, but easy to drop as well. The new trophy incorporates elements from the old trophy, but much more closely resembles how an actual trophy is envisioned:
The design of the trophy features a focused football at the center of the base that rises to form an actual-size ball. Standing at a total height of three feet, the trophy and base are two integral, but separate pieces, so the trophy may be lifted up independently when it is awarded to the national championship team.
3.The New Trophy is BIG
Oregon and Ohio State meet Monday night in the inaugural championship game of the College Football Playoffs. (Getty)
The new trophy is separated into two parts: the trophy itself and its base.
The trophy is made from 24-karat gold, bronze and stainless steel. It is 26.5 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds.
The base is formed from bronze with a heat-applied and hand-rubbed black patina finish. The base is 12 inches high, weighing 30 pounds.
The total weight of the trophy and base together is approximately 65 pounds.
4.The Old Championship Trophy Will Still Be Used
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The old crystal football will still be given to the top team in the Coaches Poll, which joins the AP Poll and others as officially being no longer tied to the title game.
5.The Trophy Will Still Continue to be Presented By Dr. Pepper
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Dr. Pepper, which has been one of the official sponsors for college football games in the past, was, unsurprisingly, the 1st mega-sponsor for the new College Football Playoff with ESPN.
Analogous to the NCAA’s Corporate Championships program, the CFP Championship Partner designation represents the highest level of sponsorship and activation. While financials were not disclosed, conservative estimates put the investment at around what one might expect to pay for a title sponsorhip—about $35 million per season.
