FRISCO, Texas – Frisco is the new host city for the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship game, which will played at Pizza Hut Park on January 7, 2011. The NCAA announced earlier today that the 23,500-seat multi-purpose stadium will be the host site for the championship game for the next three years.
“Touchdown! We can’t wait for college football to come to Frisco,” said Mayor Maher Maso. “Frisco is a sports town and a Division I Football Championship is another chance for sports fans everywhere to not only experience great football but to also discover all our community has to offer. We also want to thank folks from all over the country who supported our bid effort.”
Less than five weeks ago, Frisco launched an online pledge drive inviting football fans to show their support for the effort to move the championship games to Pizza Hut Park. Frisco received pledges from people living in 103 cities throughout Texas and from 17 other states. Frisco estimated the pledges represented more than 8,000 tickets.
“Pizza Hut Park and Hunt Sports Group couldn’t be more excited to host the NCAA Division I Football games,” said John Wagner, President, Hunt Sports Group. “Along with Southland Conference and the City of Frisco, we look forward to showcasing our venue and our city.”
The local organizing committee consists of the City of Frisco, its Economic Development Corporation and Convention & Visitors Bureau, Hunt Sports Group/Pizza Hut Park, the Frisco Chamber of Commerce and Frisco based Southland Conference.
“The Southland Conference is honored and privileged to serve as the host conference for the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game,” said Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett. “Since beginning the planning process last August, our Team Frisco local organizing committee has worked diligently to bring this national championship to Pizza Hut Park. We also knew from the start our community would support this effort. Given all the built-in advantages of Frisco and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, we always felt confident the NCAA would be attracted to what we were offering the game.”
Frisco emerged from a pool of several cities that submitted bids to serve as the host site for the championship games, beginning with the 2010 season. The championship game will be the culmination of a newly expanded 20-team championship bracket.
As a result of this expansion, the game will be played a few weeks later than in years past.
The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, includes the conferences and institutions that compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship, in addition to two conferences who choose not to participate in the football championship, the Ivy League and the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The FCS embodies a tradition of excellence through high level competition, student-athlete character and sportsmanship throughout the regular season and the championship experience.
The decision to award the championship site to Frisco, Texas, was recommended by the Division I Football Championship Committee and approved by the Administrative Committee of the Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.
“We are excited about the opportunity for the football championship game to be played in
Frisco,” said Damani Leech, NCAA director of baseball and football. “With the quality of bids that were submitted, it was not an easy decision to make. But we feel the right decision and right place to serve as the site for the Division I football championship is indeed Frisco.”
For more information on the NCAA Division I Football Championship, log on to NCAA.com/football.
