2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class Set to Return to Their Alma Maters

NFF Announces 2023 Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute Schedule, Presented by Fidelity Investments®

2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class set to return to their alma maters for special tributes as they take their places among the greatest of all-time.

(courtesy National Football Foundation)

IRVING, Texas (Aug. 29, 2023) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced the 2023 schedule for the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments®, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education.

The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, which began with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, have become a hallowed tradition, and to this day, the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in each electee’s Hall of Fame experience.

During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each member of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will return to his respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.

“Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is the ultimate achievement in our sport, and the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute tradition allows us to bring each inductee back to their alma mater for a truly memorable experience,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We look forward to celebrating the storied careers of the 2023 Hall of Fame Class with the tens of thousands of fans who will witness an on-campus salute this year.”

“Fidelity Investments is honored to be part of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes program, and have taken great pride in celebrating the College Football Hall of Fame inductees throughout the years,” said Sangeeta Moorjani, head of Tax-Exempt and Retirement Solutions at Fidelity Investments. “These athletes are of great importance to their schools, their fellow classmates and the college football community, and deserve this distinct recognition for their achievements.”

The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Click here for more information on the event, including options to purchase tickets online, special airfare rates from Delta Air Lines and special hotel rates at the ARIA Resort & Casino.

The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Eric Berry (Tennessee), Michael Bishop (Kansas State), Reggie Bush (Southern California), Dwight Freeney (Syracuse), Robert Gallery (Iowa), LaMichael James (Oregon), Derrick Johnson (Texas), Bill Kollar (Montana State), Luke Kuechly (Boston College), Jeremy Maclin (Missouri), Terance Mathis (New Mexico), Bryant McKinnie (Miami [FL]), Corey Moore (Virginia Tech), Michael Stonebreaker (Notre Dame), Tim Tebow (Florida), Troy Vincent (Wisconsin), Brian Westbrook (Villanova), DeAngelo Williams (Memphis), and coaches Monte Cater (Lakeland [WI], Shepherd [WV]), Paul Johnson (Georgia Southern, Navy, Georgia Tech), Roy Kramer (Central Michigan) and Mark Richt (Georgia, Miami [FL]).

The accomplishments of the 2023 Class will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.

Including the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, only 1,074 players and 230 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.62 million who have played or coached the game during the past 154 seasons. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction.

Currently Scheduled NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes,

Presented by Fidelity Investments

(Chronological Order)

Date: Honoree, School (Opponent)

Sept. 2: Derrick Johnson, Texas (vs. Rice)

Sept. 14: Coach Mark Richt, Miami-FL (vs. Bethune-Cookman)

Sept. 16: Terance Mathis, New Mexico (vs. New Mexico State)

Sept. 23: Michael Stonebreaker, Notre Dame (vs. Ohio State)

Sept. 30: Coach Roy Kramer, Central Michigan (vs. Eastern Michigan)

Sept. 30: Robert Gallery, Iowa (vs. Michigan State)

Sept. 30: DeAngelo Williams, Memphis (vs. Boise State)

Oct. 7: Jeremy Maclin, Missouri (vs. LSU)

Oct. 7: Troy Vincent, Wisconsin (vs. Rutgers)

Oct. 14: Eric Berry, Tennessee (vs. Texas A&M)

Oct. 21: Coach Paul Johnson, Navy (vs. Air Force)

Oct. 21: Bryant McKinnie, Miami-FL (vs. Clemson)

Oct. 26: Coach Paul Johnson, Georgia Southern (vs. Georgia State)

Oct. 28: Coach Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech (vs. North Carolina)

Oct. 28: Brian Westbrook, Villanova (vs. Stony Brook)

Nov. 3: Dwight Freeney, Syracuse (vs. Boston College)

Nov. 4: Coach Monte Cater, Shepherd-WV (vs. East Stroudsburg-PA)

Nov. 4: Bill Kollar, Montana State (vs. Northern Arizona)

Nov. 11: Coach Mark Richt, Georgia (vs. Ole Miss)

Nov. 11: Michael Bishop, Kansas State (vs. Baylor)

Nov. 18: Corey Moore, Virginia Tech (vs. NC State)

TBD: Reggie Bush, USC

TBD: LaMichael James, Oregon

TBD: Luke Kuechly, Boston College

TBD: Tim Tebow, Florida

Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education.

Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country. As part of the NFF Faculty Salutes initiative, each school with an NFF National Scholar-Athlete receives a special plaque recognizing the contributions of their specific faculty athletics representative, and Fidelity Investments makes a $5,000 donation per school to support the academic support services. The salutes have recognized 168 FARs since the program’s inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $830,000 in donations.

ABOUT FIDELITY INVESTMENTSFidelity’s mission is to strengthen the financial well-being of our customers and deliver better outcomes for the clients and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $11.7 trillion, including discretionary assets of $4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2023, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers. Privately held for over 75 years, Fidelity employs over 70,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.

ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of FameFounded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & Hatchell Cup presented by the Original Bob’s Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Hanold Associates Executive Search, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, ,the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.