College Football Hall of Fame Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta
Established	August 23, 2014
Location	250 Marietta St. NW Atlanta, Georgia 30313
Type	College sports hall of fame
Visitors	250,000

The College Football Hall of Fame is a special place that celebrates the best players and coaches in college American football. It's like a museum and an exciting attraction all in one!

The National Football Foundation (NFF) started the Hall of Fame in 1951. Their goal was to remember and honor college football stars and coaches. These are people who were chosen as "first team All-American" by sports reporters.

In August 2014, the Hall of Fame opened its doors in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. This amazing building is about 94,256 square feet. It's right in the middle of Atlanta's fun sports and entertainment area. You can find it next to the Georgia World Congress Center and Centennial Olympic Park.

The Story of the College Football Hall of Fame
Who Gets Into the Hall of Fame?
- Players from Different Schools
How Do You Get Into the Hall of Fame?
Images for kids
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The Story of the College Football Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame has moved around a few times. Let's look at its journey to Atlanta!

Where Did the Hall of Fame Start?

In 1949, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was chosen as the first home for the Hall of Fame. This was a special choice because Rutgers and Princeton played the very first college football game there. That historic game happened on November 6, 1869.

Later, in 1967, there were still plans for the Hall of Fame to be at Rutgers. Rutgers even gave land and support for the project. However, after many years, the building was never built. The foundation that ran the Hall of Fame moved its offices to New York City.

Moving to Kings Mills, Ohio

After some time in New York, the foundation moved again. This time, it went to Kings Mills, Ohio, near Cincinnati. A building was finally built there in 1978. It was next to a big amusement park called Kings Island.

People hoped that visitors to Kings Island would also visit the Hall of Fame. But this didn't happen as planned. While many people visited at first, the numbers quickly dropped. The Hall of Fame in Ohio closed its doors in 1992.

A Stop in South Bend, Indiana

South-bend-college-football-hall-of-fame

The College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana had a new artificial turf field.

In 1991, the National Football Foundation started looking for a new home again. Many cities wanted to host the Hall of Fame. South Bend, Indiana, was one of the cities that made a strong offer.

South Bend worked hard to create a plan for a new $14 million building. They chose a spot near the Century Center in their downtown area. On July 13, 1992, it was announced that South Bend had won the bid! They beat out other big cities like Atlanta and Houston.

The new Hall of Fame in South Bend opened on August 25, 1995. Even though it was a nice place, it didn't attract as many visitors as expected. The Hall of Fame in South Bend closed in December 2012.

Finding a Permanent Home in Atlanta

In 2009, the National Football Foundation decided to move the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta was chosen because it's a great city for visitors. It's also home to many college football fans.

The new Hall of Fame in Atlanta cost $68.5 million. It opened on August 23, 2014. This amazing building is right next to Centennial Olympic Park. This means it's close to other cool places like the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola.

The building itself looks a bit like a football! It has about 50,000 square feet of space for exhibits and events. There are lots of interactive displays. You can even find a 45-yard indoor football field inside!

In May 2020, the Hall of Fame was affected by some events in the city. The gift shop was damaged, but thankfully, no important football items or displays were harmed.

Who Gets Into the Hall of Fame?

The Hall of Fame honors the best of the best in college football. As of 2018, there are 997 players and 217 coaches who have been chosen. They come from 308 different schools!

Players from Different Schools

Many schools have players in the Hall of Fame. Here are some of the schools with the most players:

Institution	Players inducted
Notre Dame	48
USC	35
Michigan	32
Tennessee	26
Ohio State	26

How Do You Get Into the Hall of Fame?

The National Football Foundation has special rules for choosing who gets into the Hall of Fame. Here are some of the main requirements:

Players:
- They must have been chosen as a major "first team All-America" player.
- They can be considered 10 years after their last year of college football.
- Their achievements in football are important, but their good actions as a citizen after football are also considered.
- They must have played their last year of college football within the last 50 years.
- They must have finished their professional sports career before being nominated.

Coaches:
- They must have at least 10 years of experience as a head coach.
- They must have coached at least 100 games.
- They need to have won at least 60% of their games.

These rules help make sure that only the most amazing college football players and coaches are honored in the Hall of Fame!