I missed this Atlanta Business Chronicle article from Dec. 21, which says that Atlanta has a good chance to lure the College Football Hall of Fame away from South Bend:
Atlanta has the inside track over a potential rival to lure the College Football Hall of Fame away from South Bend, Ind., according to a person with knowledge of the thinking of the National Football Foundation (NFF), which runs the college hall.
That assessment is based on the quality of Atlanta’s site plan, said the source, who asked not to be named.
There’s a discussion about this going on at Inside the Sprawl.
I love me some college football, as you know. And as I said in the thread at ITS, I think as good a case can be made for Atlanta as can made for South Bend, if you’re talking college football history (just read what I said in the thread over there if that statement sounds outlandish to you).
While personally I would love to be able to hop on MARTA and visit, it sounds like the HOF has bounced around from venue-to-venue, unable to attract enough visitors to sustain itself. As the Chronicle article notes, it has a sweetheart deal with South Bend where the city paid $15 million for the venue and is paying $500-600K per year to keep it open.
So, given the deal the HOF has with South Bend, I can’t imagine it moving if it weren’t going to receive equivalent perks from the city of Atlanta and/or the state. It sounds pretty poorly-managed, so I have trouble supporting the idea if the money is coming from public funds.
The State of Georgia has done a lot for the sport of College Football over the years. Particularly the University of Georgia in Athens. With its two recognized National Championships, consistent appearances in the Sugar Bowl, and stable of players it adds to the NFL, the greatness of UGA is not even up for debate. But UGA isn’t alone in its endeavor to make Georgia the most deserving college football state.
Georgia Southern has won numerous National Titles in Division I-AA and is always considered to be a serious contender.
Valdosta State University recently won the Division III National Title. They have won several of them over the past few years. VSU is a constant contender.
Roswell High School and Lowndes County High School are two of the most prolific high-schools in the country for producing college athletes at every level. Both are also consistent contenders for State Championships.
And then we have The Georgia Technical Institute[sic], responsible for being the fifth or sixth best football program in the entire state, as well as the number one football program on North Avenue!
Our great state deserves the hall of fame!
Heh, I read the comment on ITS about Heisman and GT. I can’t stop myself from mentioning another great pioneer coach from back in the day… Fielding H. Yost, the man who invented the Rose Bowl and the linebacker position.
He also built the largest stadium in the country - i think it is bigger than that dinky thing in Knoxville. He was also the first professional coach in college football. Oh, and won six national titles. He coached at some school up north…
sorry, we alums can be obnoxious at times.
I came this close to mentioning Michigan to make a case against South Bend, since the Wolverines taught ND how to play football, but decided to keep it mostly positive for Atlanta.
The Big House, like Neyland, didn’t open at its current capacity. But space for the extra seats was accounted for in the original plans, unlike Neyland. So I’ll concede the planning for the stadium was better, and that it’s doubtful Neyland’s capacity will ever exceed The Big House. Part of Neyland’s charm is that it’s an architectural monstrosity which has undergone at least 18 renovations, and which could fall into the ground at any time.
I don’t know if the Rose Bowl is anything to brag much about these days after that dreadful Illinois-USC match-up and the general consensus that the Big 10 and Pac 10’s rigid adherence to tradition is the primary factor blocking a playoff.