IRVING, TEXAS & PRINCETON, N.J. (Sept. 26, 2024) - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) and The Ivy League today announced exciting new details for the annual ceremony to present the Asa S. Bushnell Cup to the Ivy League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
New for this year, the league will invite three finalists for the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year (up from two). Those finalists will be announced on Dec. 3. Each, along with their families, respective head coaches, and athletic directors, will be on hand for the live announcement. Also new, College GameDay, Built by The Home Depot host and longtime ESPN on-air personality Rece Davis, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the festivities, which will move to the prestigious Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center.
Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris will announce the winners. She will be joined by the athletic directors and head coaches from every Ivy team, former players, alums, and national media. The new developments are part of an official partnership between the NFF and Bruin Capital to enhance and expand the platform into a wide-ranging celebration of the talented student-athletes and the values learned playing football in the Ivy League.
"The Asa S. Bushnell Cup presentation is one of college football's most unique postseason award ceremonies," said Harris. "I'm thrilled that our football student-athletes will be able to experience this deserved celebration of their accomplishments on and off the field. The league is grateful to Steven Hatchell and Matthew Sign (NFF) and George Pyne (Bruin Capital) for their time and support in reimagining and elevating what was already a first-class event."
"The Asa S. Bushnell Cup Presentation remains a seminal event for the National Football Foundation and the college football community at large to showcase those players who truly embody the scholar-athlete ideal," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Having an enhanced and expanded event will allow us to attract a larger audience, generating a new sense of excitement. We are extremely grateful for the leadership and support of George Pyne and his firm Bruin Capital for stepping forward to sponsor the event and help lead the charge."
George Pyne, an All-Ivy League Offensive Lineman at Brown, has served on the NFF Board of Trustees since 2009 and became an inaugural inductee into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame in 2013. Pyne, one of the nation's most influential sports business leaders, has been closely involved with the NFF's connection to the Asa Bushnell Cup since the NFF first got involved in 2010, including serving as the emcee for many years. Last year, Pyne and his firm Bruin Capital, a private company that partners with businesses spanning the global sports ecosystem, stepped forward as the sponsor of the event, and this year, Bruin Capital has expanded its role by leading the growth of the affair.
"I'm extraordinarily proud of our association with the Ivy League and the National Football Foundation and honored to play a small role in helping celebrate these great athletes and the best traditions of football. I'm looking forward to this event, which we believe can become one of the truly special events in the annual sports calendar," said Pyne.
Presented annually since 1970, the Asa S. Bushnell Cup honors its namesake, a 1921 Princeton alumnus and the commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference from 1938 to 1970. The Bushnell Cup is awarded by a vote of the Ivy League's eight head football coaches to the players who display outstanding qualities of leadership, competitive spirit, contribution to the team, and accomplishments on the field.
From 1970 to 2010, the Bushnell Cup recognized an Ivy League Player of the Year (or co-Players of the Year if there was a tie in voting). In 2011, the Ivy League began recognizing both an offensive and a defensive player of the year. Beginning with the 2010 season, the Ivy League and the NFF have partnered at the end of the season to present the award. Click here for more information about the award and its connection to the National Football Foundation, including a list of past winners.
The event is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. For more information on purchasing tickets or a table, please contact news@footballfoundation.com