AFCA National Championship Trophy
| AFCA National Championship Trophy | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Coaches' Poll national champion (1986-present) Winner of BCS National Championship Game (1998-2013) Winner of Bowl Alliance (1995-1997) Winner of Bowl Coalition (1992-1994) |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | American Football Coaches Association |
| First awarded | 1986 (retroactively available to #1 Coaches' Poll teams) |
| Currently held by | Clemson |
| Official website | www |
The AFCA National Championship Trophy (also known as the Coaches' Trophy) is the trophy awarded annually by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the NCAA Division I FBS college football national champion as determined by the Coaches' Poll. The trophy has been presented since 1986 and was contractually given to the winner of the BCS National Championship Game and its predecessors from 1992-2013. It will continue to be awarded to the No. 1 ranked team in the final poll of the season.
The trophy consists of a Waterford Crystal football affixed to an ebony base, and carries a value of over $30,000. The winning school retains permanent possession of the trophy, as a new one is awarded every year. The football portion of the trophy weighs approximately 8 pounds and together with the stand, it weighs about 45 pounds (20 kg) and stands 34 inches tall. It is handmade by master craftspeople at Waterford Crystal and reportedly takes nearly three months to complete.
The trophy has undergone several sponsorship changes over the years. It was sponsored by the Gerrits Foundation during the initial 1986 and 1987 seasons. Patrick and Michael Gerrits came up with the idea for a college football trophy to be awarded to the AFCA national champions along with an academic scholarship award to a non-athlete. The intent was to honor the memory of the patriarch of the Gerrits family, Edward J. Gerrits. The expenses associated with the trophy eventually became too much of a burden to the family, so Pepsi became a co-sponsor in 1988 and 1989. McDonald's was the sole sponsor from 1990-1992. Sears began its sponsorship in 1993 and remained until 2001. Circuit City assumed the sponsorship for the 2002 season. ADT Security Services was the title sponsor from 2003 to 2005, and from 2009-2013 Dr Pepper sponsored the trophy. Since, 2014, Amway has been the trophy sponsor.
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