Here's a taste of what's to come when Houston hosts CFP National Championship in January
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The college football playoff party will be in Houston soon, but first we're learning about what events will surround the big game.
The Bayou City will host the National Championship, which will feature the Rose Bowl champion versus the Sugar Bowl champion, on Jan. 8, 2024 at NRG Stadium.
On Thursday at Milby High School, organizers and leaders from the 2024 Houston Host Committee announced the event schedule, plus an update on the Houston Loves Teachers legacy project.
The campaign is described as a citywide outreach effort to help recruit and retain teachers to Houston-area school districts.
Under the initiative, which launched in May of this year, more than 15,000 educators across a dozen Houston-area public school districts have gotten involved through events and classroom resource giveaways.
Adding to that, CFP organizers announced a citywide campus beautification campaign on Thursday across 10 different districts in Houston.
The campaign includes six Extra Yard Makeovers and 10 Houston Loves Teachers murals.
Local visual artist Alex Roman Jr., better known as Donkeeboy, will add his touch to his alma mater Milby. He plans to paint a mural on the front wall outside the school building.
Teachers will also be in the spotlight in the weekend leading up to the championship game with a series of events, including the Extra Yard for Teachers Summit set for Saturday, Jan. 6.
But the CFP overall isn't just for football fans.
Activities between Jan. 5-8 are meant to entice any and everybody, according to organizers, who noted that the festivities will get underway that Friday with Playoff Fan Central at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
It will be a free, interactive experience with games, clinics, pep rallies, autograph signings, guest appearances and more.
The next day, on Saturday, fans are invited to join Media Day at Playoff Fan Central. That's where fans can listen in for one-hour interview sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the participating teams.
Music fans can look forward to a three-day weekend of music at AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!. Billed as a star-studded event that will happen on Friday at Shell Energy Stadium, past versions have included acts ranging from the Jonas Brothers, H.E.R. and Usher to John Mellencamp, Ciara, Sting and Lenny Kravitz.
We won't know who's coming to Houston until lineup and how to attend details are revealed in November.
Trophy Trot 5K and 10K runs and a Taste of the Championship featuring gourmet food and drinks at Union Station will round out the weekend activities on Sunday.
Earlier this year, Los Angeles was the host city.
In 2024, more than 100,000 people from the greater Houston area and visitors from across the country are expected to attend the events ahead of kickoff.
