Bay Area Host Committee Kickoff Luncheon Begins Countdown to 2019 College Football Playoff
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
The Bay Area Host Committee for the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship hosted a luncheon at Levi’s Stadium today to officially start the countdown to Monday, January 7th, 2019, when the college football world will descend on Silicon Valley to crown its champion for the 2018-19 season. Joined by executives from the College Football Playoff, the Bay Area Host Committee used the event to introduce its leadership team, launch its advisory board, and unveil its official logo and website to more than 100 local civic and business leaders.
The luncheon was scheduled to coincide with last Saturday, August 26th, marking 500 days until kickoff of the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship in Santa Clara as well as the start of the 2017 college football season. The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship is in Atlanta next January, but today’s announcements demonstrate that planning for 2019 is well underway.
“The 49ers celebrate amateur football on all levels, so to begin preparing to host the pinnacle of college football is phenomenal,” said 49ers president Al Guido. “This event is a milestone, not just for Levi’s Stadium, not just for college football, but for the entire Bay Area region. We’re proud that Super Bowl 50 brought over $240 million dollars of economic impact to the region. We hope that this game exceeds that total and showcases the great tradition of college football here on the West Coast.”
In addition to unveiling their official logo, the Bay Area Host Committee announced the launch of its official website at www.BayArea2019.com, its official hashtag of #BayArea2019, and its official social media accounts: BayArea2019 on Facebook and @BayArea_2019 on Twitter and Instagram.
“We’re so grateful to partner with the College Football Playoff and we believe we have created a brand identity for the 2019 College Football Playoff that successfully incorporates both Levi’s Stadium and the region,” said Patricia Ernstrom, Bay Area Host Committee Executive Director. “We’re confident in our collective team to continue to grow, expand, and elevate the National Championship. We plan to deliver an incredible experience on and off the field with the help of our city, community, and venue partners.”
As the pinnacle of college football, the College Football Playoff National Championship is one of the biggest events in college sports, with an average attendance of nearly 79,000 fans in the first three years. The large-scale event is expected to provide a significant economic impact to the South Bay, with the Dallas area netting $308 million in 2015 followed by Phoenix’s $274 million in 2016. The College Football Playoff was represented at today’s event by COO Michael Kelly, Executive Director Bill Hancock, and Selection Committee Member Tyrone Willingham.
“The College Football Playoff is eager to begin working with the Bay Area Host Committee, the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium,” said Bill Hancock, College Football Playoff Executive Director. “This is a special area and I know that the fans who visit will be absolutely blown away by the hospitality, the class of this facility and the experience that we will provide.”
The Bay Area Host Committee also announced the addition of College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice as the initial members of its advisory committee. Finally, the committee announced that it is kicking off its participation in the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers program with a one-million-dollar pledge to help serve the foundation’s mission to elevate the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering quality teachers. As part of that commitment, the host committee will be hosting the fourth annual Extra Yard For Teachers Summit in the days leading up to the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship.
“One of the most important benefits of hosting the 2019 CFP National Championship is the impact the game will have on Bay Area teachers,” said Ernstrom. “The Bay Area Host Committee is committing one million dollars in support of that effort and build on the pioneering education work already being done by the 49ers and its Foundation throughout the Bay Area, under the leadership of Jed York and Al Guido.”
