NEWS RELEASE
Arizona leaders will be honored Jan. 7 in Phoenix as the kickoff event for the College Football Playoff National Championship.
IRVING, Texas (Nov. 19, 2015) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill have been named co-inductees into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame. They will be honored together Jan. 7 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix during an affair that will serve as a kickoff event leading up to the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship, which will take place Jan. 11 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
“Governor Ducey and Michael Bidwill share many similar traits, and they have developed a close relationship with the singular goal of making Arizona a better place,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “They have formed a powerful public-private partnership, and we are proud to recognize them for their joint leadership and their efforts to unify their state and promote its reputation as a prime place to conduct business with an unmatched quality of life.”
Established in 2013, the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame provides the NFF with a powerful platform for recognizing the country’s most influential individuals who have ascended to the highest levels of success and exhibited the critical leadership qualities that transcend ordinary enterprises. Members of the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame must embody the same qualities in amateur football that define excellence in American life: hard work, discipline, determination, teamwork, integrity and the relentless pursuit to improve.
“Both Governor Ducey and Michael Bidwill realize the significance of being in a position where they can make a difference,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “Both have had successful careers in the private sector, and
they have stepped forward to give back. They are both proven leaders, and we are proud to shine our national spotlight on them by inducting them into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame.”
At the Jan. 7 event, Bidwill and Gov. Ducey’s outstanding records of leadership and many contributions to the State of Arizona will be highlighted. Bidwill and Gov. Ducey become the seventh and eighth inductees into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame, joining New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the father or aerobics Dr. Kenneth Cooper, legendary attorney Joe Jamail, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Bruin Sports Capital CEO George Pyne and Wasserman Media Group Chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman. Each inductee’s accomplishments are enshrined in an exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta as role models for future generations to emulate.
The Jan. 7 event marks the continuation of a tradition that began with the inaugural CFP National Championship last year, and each year the NFF will stage an NFF Leadership Hall of Fame induction as part of the kickoff celebration in the title game’s host city. The next championship game will be played in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 9, 2017, and the NFF will stage a Leadership Hall of Fame induction on Jan. 5, 2017.
“Led by its executive director Bill Hancock, the College Football Playoff has done a marvelous job of using the title game’s national stage to shine a light on everything right with our great game,” said Hatchell. “The NFF Leadership Hall of Fame plays an important role in highlighting the value of football off the field, and I want to thank Bill Hancock and his incredible staff for all their support that will allow us to recognize Governor Ducey and Michael Bidwill with a kickoff event for the 2016 CFP title game. We truly appreciate their efforts.”
Other NFF events scheduled to take place during the national championship weekend include the announcement of the College Football Hall of Fame Class on Jan. 8; the participation of several members of the newly elected College Football Hall of Fame Class during the coin toss of the title game on Jan. 11; and the recognition of the 2015 recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments, on the field between the first and second quarters of the title game.
The NFF Leadership Hall of Fame events serve as a centerpiece of the NFF’s annual fundraising efforts, providing critical support for the organization’s outreach efforts that emphasize the value of football to society. By creating a powerful fundraising opportunity, the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame allows those who have reached the pinnacle of success to help the NFF strengthen its programs and fulfill its mission of Building Leaders Through Football.
