November 1, 2017

INDY NAMED AS HOST CITY

Indianapolis to host 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (November 11, 2017) – Indianapolis will host the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday, January 10. Indiana Sports Corp and Visit Indy announced that they were awarded the prestigious event by the College Football Playoff at a press conference today.

After more than two years of examining the benefits of hosting the College Football Playoff National Championship, downtown Indianapolis will welcome the college football community in 2022 over a four-day period with festivities kicking-off Friday, January 7. In addition to the national championship game, the weekend will feature a fan fest inside the Indiana Convention Center, a music festival, themed food event and plenty of championship tailgating. 

The national championship game will have a significant economic impact in the region with more than $150 million generated for our community in addition to hundreds of hours of national media coverage. Moreover, in the weeks surrounding this major sporting event, countless volunteers will become ambassadors throughout Central Indiana putting "Hoosier Hospitality" on a national stage. 

''I'm confident this event will be much more than a game for our city," said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. "As with other major sporting events, thousands of volunteers will step into our neighborhoods, classrooms, and local nonprofit centers to leave a positive footprint in our community. Hosting this game will also ensure the 78,000 residents in our local hospitality industry will continue to earn a paycheck." 

The national championship game will be the first hosted by Indianapolis and expand the city's rich history for hosting world class sporting events. On an annual basis for the past century, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" giving Indianapolis its proud nickname as the "Racing Capital of the World". Branching from that success, Indianapolis implemented a sports strategy that has shown dividends over the past 30 years. During that time, Central Indiana has staged more than 450 national and international sporting events including Super Bowl XLVI, seven NCAA Men's Final Fours, three NCAA Women's Final Fours, 18 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, six Big Ten Football Championship Games and the 1987 Pan American Games. 

"Between the community events, fan experiences, and the game itself, the College Football Playoff National Championship will bring more than 100,000 visitors to Indy in 2022," said Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy. "In addition to the significant economic impact it will generate, the event will also help boost the profile of Indy through global media coverage, enhancing Central Indiana's brand as a place to live, work, play and visit." 

Former director of NCAA Men's Final Four and current College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock is looking forward to bringing this iconic event to the Hoosier state. 

"Indianapolis offers a welcoming atmosphere that is second to none," said Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff.  "Those of us who have worked there for many years know that it's all about the people. The city has served as a renowned host to top collegiate events for many years-and, of course, to the Indianapolis 500, a great Super Bowl, Pan American Games and more. The community provides a state-of-the-art stadium, top-flight convention center, and a centralized, 'walkable' downtown that our fans will love."  

The state that boasts the tagline "Where Champions are Crowned" is ready to put its unique mark on the national championship game. Indianapolis has proven success in for ming a volunteer-driven local Host Committee for more than 30 years. The committee overseeing the national championship game will be under the leadership of Chairman Mark Howell, the Chief Operating Officer for one of the city's largest companies, Angie's List. The president and CEO of Citizen's Energy Group, Jeff Harrison, will serve as Vice Chair. 

"Indianapolis is ready to rise to the occasion of making the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship the best yet," said Indiana Sports Corp President Ryan Vaughn. "Our community will come to life over the four-day event with volunteers ready to provide "Hoosier Hospitality" and efforts citywide to sustain our reputation as the city where champions are crowned." 

The College Football Playoff began after the 2014 regular season and has become an annual event hosted throughout the country, most recently in Tampa Bay, Fla. and Phoenix, Ariz. Each season, the selection committee ranks the top four teams to take part in the College Football Playoff. Based on these rankings, the teams compete in two bowl games serving as the semifinals, with the winners advancing to the national championship game. 

Information about the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship in Indianapolis and future opportunities surrounding the game can be found at www.WhereChampionsAreCrowned.com. Hashtags are #Indy2022 and #IndyPlayoff Perfect. As further information comes available, it will be added to the page listed above.

Indiana Sports Corp's mission is to create positive impact by hosting world-class sporting events which drive economic vitality, facilitate a vibrant community with civic pride, garner national and international media attention and create opportunities for our youth. A not-for-profit organization, Indiana Sports Corp was founded in 1979 as the nation's first sports commission. For more information, visit www.IndianaSportsCorp.org

About Visit Indy: The mission of Visit Indy is to increase Indianapolis economic growth by strategically selling the destination to conventions, meetings, events, and leisure travelers. According to Rockport Analytics, 28.2 million visitors provide $4.9 billion in total economic impact annually, produce $1.2 billion in tax receipts, and generate 77,800 full-time-equivalent jobs in Central Indiana. For more information, www.Visitindy.com

About the College Football Playoff: The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual and PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. This season's semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2018, at the Rose Bowl presented by Northwestern Mutual and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The national championship game will be Monday, January 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.