College Football Playoff Foundation and Partners Pledge $1.5 Million To Restore Eliot Arts Magnet School

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation, in partnership with its six major bowl games and educational products company School Specialty, has pledged a total of $1.5 million toward the restoration of Eliot Arts Magnet School in Altadena, ravaged by the Eaton Fire in January.

The commitment, announced on Thursday at McKinley School of the Arts—Eliot’s temporary home—marks the first time ever that all six CFP bowl partners have joined forces to support a single community recovery effort.

“We are grateful to have so many generous partners willing to come together to help our friends in Pasadena and at Eliot Arts Magnet School,” said Britton Banowsky, executive director of the CFP Foundation. “It’s a historic moment as all of the CFP Bowls are aligned to support this very important project.”

The CFP Foundation will pledge a minimum of $1.2 million with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and Allstate Sugar Bowl all contributing to the effort.

School Specialty, the CFP Foundation’s partner for its Extra Yard Makeover Project program, will donate an estimated $300,000 to support the needs of the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), including Eliot Arts.

The Eaton Fire destroyed key portions of the nearly century-old Eliot campus, including the auditorium, a set of adjacent classrooms, much of the administration offices, and the music room. While the primary exterior structure of the school remained intact following the fires, the interior was severely damaged. In response, the PUSD Board passed a resolution in January to rebuild the school.

“We are grateful to the College Football Playoff Foundation and its partners for their extraordinary pledge to help restore Eliot Arts Magnet School,” said PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco. “This generous support brings hope and momentum to our recovery and reaffirms the power of community partnerships in rebuilding schools that inspire creativity, resilience, and pride.”

The partnership between the CFP Foundation and the Pasadena community isn’t new. The historic library at Eliot Arts was initially refurbished in 2023 through a partnership between the CFP Foundation, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena Educational Foundation, and School Specialty.

“The Tournament of Roses is deeply grateful to the College Football Playoff Foundation and our fellow bowl game partners for coming together to support Eliot Arts Magnet School,” said David Eads, CEO, Pasadena Tournament of Roses. “This generous commitment highlights the power of teamwork and the meaningful impact we can make when united by a shared purpose. Eliot Arts holds a special place in our community, and we’re proud to stand with our partners to help restore a space that inspires creativity, learning and hope.”

The CFP Foundation and the Tournament of Roses have long supported PUSD and the Pasadena Education Foundation (PEF), providing teacher grants and library resources over the years. The CFP Foundation entered into a three-year grant agreement with PEF to ensure sustained investment in the restoration of Eliot Arts.

“Eliot Arts Magnet School has been an important Altadena landmark since its construction nearly a century ago,” said Patrick Conyers, executive director of the Pasadena Educational Foundation. “I am very grateful to the CFP Foundation and its partners for their extraordinary commitment to supporting Eliot Arts Magnet, the Pasadena Unified School District, and our wider community in this time of need.”

The initiative will also provide support to McKinley School of the Arts, where Eliot students are currently relocated.

“This is what ‘The Power of Us,’ looks like,” said McKinley principal Dr. Maria Toliver, citing this year’s PUSD theme.

Eighth grader Carlo Foster, who lost his home in the fire, said Eliot’s community kept him grounded. “Our principal found a way for us to be in school. I love being a student at Eliot.”

Reconstruction timelines remain uncertain.

“It’s going to be a multi-year process,” stressed Pasadena Unified Chief Business Officer Saman Bravo-Karimi, citing complex structural assessments and approvals.

While the path forward involves challenges, the pledge brings both material support and renewed optimism to the school community. “I have a vision that one day we’ll celebrate on a renovated Eliot campus,” Banowsky said.

PUSD Board President Jennifer Hall Lee added, “This pledge honors all that Eliot has always been: a place where creativity, diversity and potential come alive.”