Public Nominations Now Open for the California High School Football Hall of Fame Inaugural Class to be Enshrined at the Rose Bowl Stadium

The public can now nominate candidates for consideration to the inaugural California High School Football Hall of Fame class to be enshrined at the Rose Bowl Stadium upon project completion in late-2022.

Nominations, and criteria, can be viewed at www.CAhighschoolfootballHOF.com and must be submitted by January 30, 2022 for consideration by the committee.

The project was announced last month as the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation secured two major pledges to establish the California High School Football Hall of Fame. The pledges on the project are funded by prominent philanthropists and business leaders in the Los Angeles area, Brian Panish and Mickey Segal.

The Hall will be located at the Rose Bowl Stadium with plans to open in 2022. The opening will include the induction of the inaugural class during the venue’s centennial year in late-2022 upon completion of the project space. With the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and National Football Foundation (NFF) playing a role, along with Cal-Hi Sports in conjunction with the Rose Bowl Stadium, a selection committee has been formed representing Southern and Northern California to begin consideration of the inaugural class. It is anticipated that the inaugural class will be announced in Summer 2022.

The project will be planned and founded to honor the history, quality, and overall impact of players, coaches, and integral moments that have shaped the landscape of high school football in the state.

“This project will appropriately recognize the players, coaches, administrators, and so many more contributors that have positively shaped the lives of so many on the football field during the formative high school years,” said Panish and Segal in a joint statement about the project. “Understanding the Rose Bowl Stadium’s rich history and experience with generational moments rooted in football, there is no better place in the State of California to house the high school football hall of fame.”

“The CIF is privileged to participate in the selection process for the California High School Football Hall of Fame,” said Ron Nocetti, CIF Executive Director. “We thank the Rose Bowl Stadium, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the National Football Foundation for honoring the long and storied history of high school football in California and look forward to the induction of its inaugural class.”

The National Football Foundation is honored to play a role with the California High School Football Hall of Fame,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “California has such a rich history of high school football, and the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Rose Bowl Stadium are the perfect stewards to showcase the state’s gridiron greats.”

A full California High School Football Hall of Fame website is currently in development and will launch in early 2022.

The generous gifts by the donors to this project continue momentum in the Legacy Foundation’s centennial campaign efforts to raise $40 million in support of Stadium’s future by the end of its centennial birthday. The campaign is over 85 percent complete with a growing national donor base.

“The ongoing generosity of Mickey and the other key donor to this project is humbling, thoughtful, and will provide a transformational result to recognize the great history of high school football in the State of California. We are incredibly grateful,” said Dedan Brozino, Chief Development Officer. “We are excited for the public to embrace the project as well through the nomination process as we excitedly work towards induction of the inaugural class amidst the Rose Bowl’s centennial year.”

About the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation

Formed in 2010, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization whose primary goal is to financially ensure the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the future of the Stadium as a National Historic Landmark. The Foundation has established funding for key capital improvement initiatives, educational programming and heritage protection due to the generosity of supporters from around the world who are invested in its premier future.

About the Rose Bowl Stadium

The Rose Bowl Stadium is the proud home of the Tournament of Roses Rose Bowl Game, UCLA Bruins football, AmericaFest Fourth of July Celebration, concerts including Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Taylor Swift and U2, international and Premier League soccer matches and the World’s Largest Flea Market.

A National Historic Landmark built in 1922 and known around the world, the Rose Bowl Stadium has earned its world-class reputation by hosting five NFL Super Bowl games, the 1984 Olympic Soccer matches, the 1994 Men’s World Cup, the 1999 Women’s World Cup, four BCS National College Football Championship Games and the College Football Playoff Semi-Final game.

About the National Football Foundation (NFF)

Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & 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. The NFF programs include:

The Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, a state-of-the-art and highly interactive facility in the heart of Atlanta that brings the game to life for fans of all ages while paying tribute to the game’s greatest legends. The NFF oversees the nominations, voting, election and induction of the annual College Football Hall of Fame Class.

The William V. Campbell Trophy® and National Scholar-Athlete Program, awarding more than $1.3 million annually and distributing nearly $30 million since its inception in 1959. The program is highlighted by the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments and The William V. Campbell Trophy®.

Future For Football, the NFF’s cross-platform media campaign to celebrate the positive impact the game of football has made on millions of players, coaches, administrators, volunteers and fans nationwide.

NFF Chapter Network, providing those who love the game an opportunity to stay involved and give back to future generations by replicating the national efforts at the grassroots level. Boasting 120 chapters in 47 states, the network honors 3,500 scholar-athletes and distributes $1 million in scholarships annually.

The NFF Annual Awards Dinner, the organization’s marquee event that attracts more than 1,600 of the game’s most influential supporters each December to honor those who embody the spirit of the game. The annual event includes the induction of the College Football Hall of Fame Class, the awarding of The William V. Campbell Trophy®, the presentation of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments and the recognition of other NFF Major Award recipients.

The Senior High School Showcases, which currently provide more than 1,000 high school seniors an opportunity, at no cost, to display their skills in front of coaches from more than 100 divisional colleges with the hopes of earning participation and academic scholarships.

The NFF Major Awards, honoring those who represent the key ideals of the organization and have made major contributions to the sport and/or society.

News, Outreach and Partnerships, implementing a variety of initiatives that promote the game’s best storylines and engage the key stakeholders and the more than 765 football-playing colleges and universities nationwide.