2024-25 Year In Review
2024-25 College Football Playoff Foundation
Year in Review
A year of
GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY
About the College Football Playoff Foundation
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that serves as the community engagement arm of the College Football Playoff and works in partnership with institutions of higher education, sports organizations, corporations and non-profits to support educators and improve student outcomes. The purpose of the CFP Foundation is to support PK-12 education by celebrating and elevating the teaching profession with resources, recognition programs, professional development opportunities and initiatives aimed at recruiting and retaining top-quality teachers.
We bring sports and education communities together to elevate the teaching profession.
The majority of our investments go directly to teacher and classroom resources so that their students get what they need.
RECOGNITION
TEACHER RETENTION
factor in student achievement is a great teacher. #1
We inspire and empower teachers through events and professional development opportunities.
RESOURCES
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
RECRUITMENT
We
work with universities, high schools and other non-profit organizations to attract quality future educators and keep great teachers in the classroom.
SUPPORTING TEACHERS IS AT THE HEART OF OUR WORK
COLLECTIVE IMPACT SINCE 2014
92M
13M
650K invested in education students supported teachers supported schools benefitted
81K
“A stable and effective teacher workforce is key to quality education, and retaining experienced teachers is essential to ensuring every student has access to the best possible outcomes. The CFP Foundation’s programs all aim to support this goal, recognizing the significant impact teachers have on student achievement.”
Britton Banowsky Executive Director College Football Playoff Foundation
CFP Foundation Governance
COMMITTED TO GIVING BACK
The CFP Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, which includes the commissioners of 10 major conferences and the athletics director at the University of Notre Dame. The Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of the College Football Playoff also serve as officers.
“We are incredibly proud of the work the CFP Foundation does to support educators who inspire, guide and shape the future. Teachers’ dedication, resilience and passion make an immeasurable impact on students and communities, and it is an honor to pull together the greater college football community in our commitment to helping provide resources and support they need to continue changing lives.”
Rich Clark Executive Director College Football Playoff
2024 Extra Yard for Teachers Week / Big Day for Teachers
A RECORD NUMBER OF EDUCATORS CELEBRATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
5K teacher recognition activations
In college football’s version of teacher appreciation week, thousands of great teachers across the country are recognized by the extended college football community during September’s annual Extra Yard for Teachers Week and Big Day for Teachers celebrations.
2024 Extra Yard for Teachers Week / Big Day for Teachers
70� increase in social media engagements
The CFP Foundation was proud to include teachers in the first year of expansion to 12 teams in the CFP field. Teachers and coaches in the footprints of the 12 college communities of the teams that qualified for the 2025 College Football Playoff were surprised with $20,000 in each community to teachers and coaches with wish list projects focused on health, sports and fitness needs.
$250K in surprise funding was distributed to teachers and coaches in the qualifying CFP team communities
The College Football Playoff Foundation and ESPN Citizenship donate an additional $1,000 to teachers and coaches every time a touchdown is scored during college football’s postseason.
1,000� teachers and coaches benefitted in 2024-25
Bowl Season Partnerships + Matching Grants
The CFP Foundation and Bowl Season’s partnership has positively impacted communities through teacher recognition, support, and grant-matching programs.
25 Bowl Games participated in grant-matching programs
REBUILDING ELIOT ARTS MAGNET SCHOOL IN PASADENA
The Eliot Arts Magnet Academy middle school in Pasadena was devastated by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area and will be rebuilt and restored with help from the College Football Playoff Foundation and the six CFP bowl games (a minimum of a collective $1.2 million). The school’s historic library had previously been refurbished in early 2023 with new bookshelves, flexible furniture, supplies and updated media equipment as part of an Extra Yard Makeover project by the College Football Playoff Foundation, Tournament of Roses and School Speciality. Following the fires in January, the entire school was demolished, and the vision is to rebuild and restore the space, including a new media center to welcome students back to their home school.
“Our hearts go out to our friends in Southern California who have been impacted by these devastating fires. In particular, we are saddened by the destruction of campuses in Altadena in which we have previously invested. We are committed to supporting a bright future in the area and encourage others to do the same.”
Britton Banowsky Executive Director, College Football Playoff Foundation
“Eliot Arts Magnet School has been an important Altadena landmark since its construction nearly a century ago. The iconic tower facing Lake Avenue survived the Eaton Fire, but nearly all of the rest of the school was destroyed. I am very grateful to the CFP Foundation and their partners for their extraordinary commitment to supporting Eliot Arts Magnet, the Pasadena Unified School District, and our wider community in this time of need.”
Patrick Conyers Executive Director Pasadena Education Foundation
College Football Playoff Bowls
The CFP Foundation and Allstate Sugar Bowl, in partnership with New Schools for New Orleans, recently implemented a $1 million dollar investment to support the launch of the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Orleans Teacher Community. The initiative aims to recruit and retain teachers across New Orleans by providing classroom resources, recognition, and appreciation events for educators. Among the new programs is the CFP Foundation’s Honored Schools program, where educators are recognized by students and parents for the Life Changing Teacher Award. The roots for this partnership go back to 2019, when the Sugar Bowl and CFP Foundation partnered with New Schools for New Orleans to support teachers leading up to the 2020 CFP national championship game.
educators attended New Orleans Teacher Fest
The Rose Bowl Game and the Tournament of Roses continue to up their game in supporting education in Southern California, especially their efforts with the Pasadena Educational Foundation. The partnership with the CFP Foundation began with teacher grants to encourage creativity and innovation in Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) classrooms and has grown in the last year to more than $223,000 granted to 220 teachers across every PUSD school, the largest-ever distribution in the program’s 45-year history. The cause has grown into investments toward refurbished media facilities and a new high school teacher prep program.
$3M invested in resources that inspire Pasadena teachers
College Football Playoff Bowls
In 2016, the College Football Playoff Foundation wrote a grant to the Fiesta Bowl to support the launch of Wishes for Teachers, a substantial effort to help teachers with classroom resources. Since then, the event has flourished into a $1.25 million annual investment on behalf of the Fiesta Bowl to support educators across Arizona. This year, Wishes for Teachers supported 500 educators in 380 schools with resources that impacted over 230,000 students.
$8.25M in resources has been distributed to teachers across the state of Arizona since inception
College Football Playoff Bowls
By the end of the 2026-27 academic calendar, the partnership between the Orange Bowl and CFP Foundation will have made more than 60 middle school makeovers a reality in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties. Leading up to the 2026 national championship game, the work that began around the 2021 CFP National Championship in Miami continues with a commitment to provide 33 middle school media center makeovers by the end of the 2026-27 school year, the most makeovers of any community in the nation.
60+
AExtra Yard Makeovers in South Florida will be complete by 2027
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College Football Playoff Bowls
More than $3.5 million has been invested in North Texas-based organizations to support teachers and retention efforts in high-need area schools by the Cotton Bowl Foundation and the CFP Foundation. A generous supporter of the Big Day for Teachers since 2020, this fall, the Cotton Bowl Foundation surprised Catch Up and Read, The Educator Collective, United to Learn, and Principal Impact Collaborative with a total of $200,000 in grants. The four organizations tackle different aspects of the educational support space but share the common thread of providing learning and leadership opportunities to teachers.
20+ education nonprofit organizations have benefited from Cotton Bowl Foundation grants.
College Football Playoff Bowls
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl has a long history of supporting Atlanta-area educators and students with resources needed to maximize student success. Teacher literacy training programs, mentor programs, and access to performance tools are just a few ways the partnership has empowered teachers to improve student outcomes. Recently, the Peach Bowl and CFP Foundation announced a commitment to multiple Extra Yard Makeovers in elementary and middle schools within four districts, with 10 total slated over the next two years.
10K students have benefitted from programs supported by the College Football Playoff Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
CELEBRATING EMPOWERING AND INSPIRING TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE OF GEORGIA
Each year, the CFP Foundation develops a comprehensive strategy to support teachers within the CFP National Championship host city. The work in Atlanta around the 2025 national championship game has been even more expansive, reaching educators across the entire state of Georgia. In May 2024, the Georgia Teachers Initiative (GTI) was launched with a newly-developed statewide platform and community to celebrate, support, engage, connect and provide resources to PK-12 teachers. Together with the GTI, the city of Atlanta and the CFP Foundation sought to build on the $4 million collective investment since the 2018 national championship game, while expanding the legacy impact to teachers across the state of Georgia.
“We pride ourselves in the way we approach the legacy work in these communities, because we go in really early, engage, and try to be really good listeners about the needs of the community. This approach has yielded impactful results in areas like college readiness, literacy and teacher recruitment. It’s hard to achieve meaningful changes in the education space in a couple months which is why we are dedicated to long-term involvement.”
Britton Banowsky Executive Director, College Football Playoff Foundation
40K
$3M educators engaged on the Georgia Teachers Initiative platform in investments to support Georgia’s teachers
More than
$30
invested in host cities
Host City Legacy / Georgia Teachers Initiative
“We were honored to be the first repeat host city for the College Football Playoff National Championship. Thanks to the work of the College Football Playoff Foundation, the impact of these events will be felt in classrooms across the state as teachers receive much-needed resources to equip students for a brighter future.”
The city’s investment strategy is carefully designed to meet long-term needs, ensuring that the benefits extend beyond a single day or event.
Dan Corso President, Atlanta Sports Counci
Extra Yard for Teachers Summit
On Saturday, January 18, more than 800 Atlanta-area teachers locked to the Rialto Theater at Georgia State University for the College Football Playoff Foundation’s annual Extra Yard for Teachers Summit. Additionally, over 3,000 educators from across the country were able to participate virtually in the sold-out program focused on inspiring teachers and education leaders. Speakers included education professionals, ESPN talent, and special guests like Jess Sims from ESPN and Coy Boyles of the Zac Brown Band. Teachers in attendance enjoyed the program, as well as a full reception complete with food, drink, prizes and an entire bag of goodies to take home. The 2025 Extra Yard for Teachers Summit was supported by AT&T, Understood, Dr Pepper and Modelo.
“It was an incredible experience, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to attend. The lineup of speakers was both inspiring and energizing, and I left the event feeling rejuvenated. The insights and inspiration I gained during the Summit will undoubtedly have a positive impact not only on my own work but also on my colleagues, as I plan to share the valuable takeaways with them.”
Michael Barron Graduate, Call Me MISTER Graduate, Clemson 2025 Extra Yard for Teachers Summit Attendee
Partners + ESPN
Education is fundamental to strong communities, as it drives self-empowerment, economies, employment and civic engagement. The CFP Foundation’s impact grew significantly in the past year through partnerships in college football, media and philanthropy.
“As we have evolved, we’ve gotten into providing a significant amount of resources for teachers in the classrooms and we developed a lot of programming to support the mission. The last five to seven years have been about scaling the work through our partners. Without that kind of support, we couldn’t get it done. Our partners have been unbelievably generous and supportive of this work over the years.
Britton Banowsky Executive Director, College Football Playoff Foundation
ESPN, alongside the College Football Playoff Foundation and love.fútbol, renovated a flag football field at the John Hope Envision Center in Atlanta. The grand opening coincided with the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, showcasing the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities.
During the national championship game, a $300,000 investment was presented to PK-12 coaches from across the country to help launch a new youth sports initiative designed to help young athletes grow and prosper. The presentation was made by ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro, CFP executive director Rich Clark, and former head coach Nick Saban and his wife, Terry.
$4M invested in education
Partners + AT&T
AT&T, a long-time sponsor of the College Football Playoff partner, has teamed up with the CFP Foundation to support educators and help close the digital divide. AT&T, which also sponsors the annual Extra Yard for Teachers Summit, supports the CFP Foundation each year with over $300,000 in resources and professional development activities, in addition to special teacher appreciation offers on service plans.
“At Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, we believe in empowering our students and giving them tools they need to soar to new heights. Having access to digital resources is a critical component in how our students learn, discover new possibilities and apply knowledge in the real world. With AT&T and the College Football Playoff Foundation’s support, together, we are able to connect more students to the digital tools they need to learn and excel.”
Kimberly Gibbs Principal,
School
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle
For the sixth year in a row, Eckrich has supported the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative by celebrating educators across the country through a teacher appreciation tour, donations to classroom resources and as the sponsor of the Teacher of the Year Experience at the CFP National Championship. Over $3 million has been invested in education through the partnership.
During the national championship game, Eckrich welcomed ESPN’s Marty Smith to participate in its $1 Million Challenge for Teachers. Smith’s successful throws threw a target on the field resulted in a donation of $600,000 to the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative.
total investment in 2024-25
Partners + Big Game Football Factory
Big Game supports the CFP Foundation with its Extra Yard Game Ball recognition program. Since 2021, the program has recognized over 5,000 educators at middle and high schools.
2,000� gameball kits distributed in 2024
Partners + Cheez-It /
College football players shared anecdotes with Cheez-It about their favorite teachers who had them “Feelin’ the Cheeziest” – or next-level excited – for academics or their sport. In turn, Cheez-It sent those teachers a personalized Cheez-It swag gift box and donated $5,000 directly to their respective classrooms, while making another $5,000 gift to their schools. As part of the program, Cheez-It also made an overall donation of $300,000 to the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative.
The CFP Foundation, Florida Citrus Sports and Pop Tarts (sponsor of the Pop Tarts Bowl), partnered to provide over $200,000 in funding to Orlando-area educators. The educators were recognized during the Pop Targets Bowl, and Pop Tarts featured the partnership and donation on its product packaging throughout the month of December.
The Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway celebrated its fifth year in a collective six-year effort between the CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper aimed at awarding more than $2 million in tuition to student-athletes looking to become teachers. This fund is in addition to Dr Pepper’s Tuition Giveaway program and includes all FBS conferences, plus the University of Notre Dame and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Each year, up to 150 total student-athletes are awarded $2,500 in tuition, and 10 grand-prize recipients receive an additional tuition grant of $10,000.
2024-25
Go Teach Dr Pepper Grand Prize Recipients
479 student-athletes have received tuition support thanks to the CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper
Modelo, the official beer sponsor of the College Football Playoff, supports the CFP Foundation by providing beverages for the celebration reception following the Extra Yard for Teachers Summit, as well as other hospitality areas exclusive to teachers in attendance of the CFP National Championship weekend.
The CFP Foundation, with support from longtime apparel partner Nike, provides custom swag and gift cards to teachers attending the national championship game, as well as during Extra Yard for Teachers Week and Teacher Appreciation Week. These gifts create a positive and memorable experience for teachers, honoring their hard work and dedication to education and aligning with the CFP Foundation’s mission.
Extra Yard Makeovers
Since 2015, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation has partnered with School Specialty on the Extra Yard for Teachers Makeover Project, which provides new, fully-equipped educational spaces that promote learning and personal growth. The two organizations share a common goal: improving resources for educators while providing access to better learning opportunities for children. Over the years and in conjunction with the CFP Foundation, School Specialty has donated its time, resources and products to renovate more than 50 schools, including eight new makeovers unveiled in early 2025 and many more in being planned for the future.
Extra Yard Makeovers in over 100 schools across the country
Bay
Oklahoma City
Conference Partners
The College Football Playoff Foundation greatly appreciate its conference partners’ unwavering commitment, which allows for teachers nationwide to be recognized. The conferences’ continued engagement and participation in CFP Foundation initiatives, including the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway, Extra Yard for Teachers Week, the Big Day for Teachers and Extra Yard Makeovers, benefit educators year-round.
$2M
was invested by the CFP Foundation’s conference partners in programming to help educators
The American
The American Athletic Conference utilized multiple outlets to recognize teachers during the 2024-25 college football season. The AAC kicked off the year by providing funding to each of its member universities to recognize great teachers of each school’s selection. During its football championship hosted at Army, the conference also set aside funding to recognize educators and schools in New York. Additionally, the conference recognized former student-athletes who are now teachers across their footprint.
ACC
The ACC continued a tradition of recognizing teachers alongside their fan fest footprint and engaging fans in deciding what type of DonorsChoose projects should be funded in Dallas, Charlotte and Clemson to celebrate the ACC Football Championship Game. The ACC is also slated to cut the ribbon for a new media center at Statesville Road Elementary in Charlotte in May.
Big 12
This year, the Big 12 supported the communities of its newest member institutions Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah by unveiling four new media center makeovers. Each elementary school was greeted by the university’s spirit squad and mascot(s) before being uplifted with a $50,000 space remodel, while teachers were treated to breakfast.
Conference Partners
Big Ten
During the 2024-25 season, the Big Ten honored teachers at the conference’s football championship game by providing them with $40,000 worth of DonorsChoose grants. Additionally, the Big Ten unveiled two new media centers in conjunction with that game, as well as its men’s basketball tournament.
Conference USA
Conference USA once again stepped up to support mental health in schools across its footprint of 10 member institutions. Each university received funds to support local schools and fund mental projects in their respective markets. Additionally, CUSA went the “extra yard” to support schools in Dallas (where the conference is headquartered) by providing funding for mental health resources to four local schools.
Mid-American
This year, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) was the recipient of the Mid-American Conference’s generosity. For the 4th straight year, the conference provided funds to support four learning series convenings for new teachers. Additionally, the conference financially supported three CMSD teachers on assignment and hosted two receptions to help build community for new teachers within CMSD.
Mountain West
The Mountain West encouraged each of its member institutions to activate around Extra Yard for Teachers Week by dividing its grant up across each of its member institutions and allowing each university the opportunity to tailor its own teacher recognition activation. Additionally, the conference provided funding to Goodie Two Shoes to ensure students at Las Vegas-area schools were provided with shoes, socks and backpacks.
Conference Partners
Pac-12
The Pac-12 provided funding for classroom resources to support educators in Corvallis, Oregon and Pullman, Washington by seeking nominations for inspiring elementary school educators in those areas. Additionally, the Pac-12 awarded tuition funds to student-athletes pursuing teaching careers through the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway program.
SEC
Bringing together the SEC Network and current SEC student-athletes, the conference continued its tradition of recognizing teachers who have gone the “extra yard” across the SEC footprint. Each member institution selected one student-athlete to recognize a teacher who made a significant impact on his or her educational journey. Those teachers were then honored during an SEC Network segment and were provided with funding for their respective classrooms. Additionally, the conference recognized great educators at both its women’s basketball and soccer tournaments by providing local teachers with resources for their classrooms in Greenville, South Carolina.
Sun Belt
During the 2024-25 school year, each of the schools within the Sun Belt footprint had the opportunity to recognize teachers applying one of the Foundation’s four pillars: resources, recognition, recruitment and retention, and professional development. Each member institution selected one home football game to recognize the selected teacher and announce the funding. Additionally, the conference recognized teachers at its conference championships for women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame and the College Football Playoff Foundation teamed up once again this year to support the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE). Together, UND and the CFP Foundation provided over $500,000 supporting more than 180 ACE teachers serving in 37 different communities across the county. Since the inception of the partnership, Notre Dame and CFP Foundation have provided over $3 million to support the recruitment and retention of ACE teachers nationwide.
Locking Arms with Nonprofits and Education Organizations to Expand Reach
LOCKING ARMS WITH NONPROFIT AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPAND OUR REACH EXPONENTIALLY.
Thanks to its partnership with DonorsChoose, the CFP Foundation can more effectively ensure that funds are allocated directly to the teachers who need them the most and for their most pressing classroom. The DonorsChoose platform enables teachers to submit funding requests for specific classroom resources.
$13M invested directly in classroom resources across all 50 states since 2014
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation has joined forces with Tickets for Good to launch an initiative called “Tickets for Teachers.” This program aims to show appreciation for educators by providing them with special access to tickets for a variety of live events.
Over
4,500 event tickets to teachers
Locking Arms with Nonprofits and Education
Education Partners
BRINGING NON-PROFITS AND EDUCATION PARTNERS TOGETHER TO SUPPORT TEACHERS
In the second year of its partnership, the CMA Foundation and CFP Foundation recognized great music teachers at the CMA Awards by surprising them with gift cards for classroom resources. Additionally, the 2024 Georgia State Teacher of the Year (who happens to be a music teacher) joined both foundations to surprise Stephanie Cleveland, a music teacher in Atlanta, with a brand-new recording studio for her students.
The CFP Foundation and NFL Foundation join forces annually to support teachers and students. This is achieved by raising funds for resources through the NFL Auction and by working together on community projects in the cities that host the NFL Draft.
Supporting the Education Community
The College Football Playoff Foundation, alongside the Mayor of Atlanta’s office, United Way of Atlanta and the Atlanta Football Host Committee, teamed up to provide $100,000 worth of bonuses to early childhood teachers across the city who have been in the education field for at least 10 years.
The Sonic Foundation, whose primary area of focus is education, brought fun to teachers in the state of Georgia with a “Tickets for Teachers” giveaway which included an SEC game ticket and classroom resources.
TEACHER RECOGNITION INCREASES RETENTION
Great Teacher Spotlights
The College Football Playoff Foundation recognizes that communities thrive when they have excellent teachers. Therefore, the CFP Foundation actively seeks out exceptional educators who have significantly impacted their schools and students. Each week, these outstanding teachers are acknowledged for their dedication on the CFP Foundation’s social media channels and receive gift cards to support classroom resources.
Honored Schools
Honored Schools is an initiative aimed at recognizing great teachers by elevating student voices, and creating a consistent culture of teacher appreciation within school communities. The CFP Foundation is working directly with a dozen districts across the country to encourage students to share positive feedback about what makes their teachers special.
7,000 teacher nominations in Spring 2025
Go Teach
The College Football Playoff Foundation partners with education programs across the country to provide grants that promote the teaching profession and encourage teacher retention and recruitment. Through the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway in collaboration with Dr Pepper, the CFP Foundation identifies college student-athletes who plan to become teachers or coaches and provides them with tuition support for education or certification programs.
College Colors Day and Supporting the Mission
College Colors Day
College Colors Day encourages people across the country to celebrate the start of the academic year and represent their respective alma maters by donning their school colors. In August 2024, the College Football Playoff and CFP Foundation teamed up on College Colors Day to help give away a $10,000 gift card to a teacher for resources to enhance their classroom experience. The winner, coach Megan Washington from Atlanta’s Lovejoy High School, was honored to have been nominated by her students.
When fans purchase any official College Football Playoff merchandise, the proceeds of those purchases directly benefit the College Football Playoff Foundation to fund its programming and resources for teachers.
650K teachers supported
92M invested in education
13M students supported 81K schools benefitted
MATCHING INVESTMENTS CFPF INVESTMENTS
$10M 0
Key Dates
Teacher Appreciation Week ................................................. May 5-9, 2025
Go Teach Week .................................................................. May 12-16, 2025
Extra Yard for Teachers Week .............................. September 13 - 20, 2025
Big Day for Teachers .................................................... September 17, 2025
Touchdown for Teachers Bowl Season ...... December 2025-January 2026
Teacher of the Year Experience....................................January 17-19, 2026
Presented By Eckrich
Extra Yard for Teachers Summit ........................................January 17, 2026
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On behalf of the CFP Foundation leadership team, thank you for your continued interest in our work. We cannot sustain our growth and impact without the support we receive from so many wonderful partners.
