College Football Playoff title game organizers pledge support to schools, minority-owned businesses

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The executive director of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game was almost sold on Houston as a host for the 2024 game.

Then, Bill Hancock heard about the thousands of volunteers that power the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year.

"We were so impressed by the number of people who work every year for the rodeo. Wow!" Hancock said on Wednesday during the kickoff event for the CFP title game in Houston.

For Hancock, the spirit of cooperation and volunteer effort was one of the items that clinched it. Houston will host the national title game for the first time next January at NRG Stadium.

This is another big win for the city. Houston organizers beat out tough competition for what Hancock tells us is the second-most watched event on television, behind only to the Super Bowl.

The College Football Playoff National Championship game joins the 2026 World Cup, a recent Super Bowl, and this year's Final Four on the list of world class events coming to Houston. With big crowds for the game come millions of dollars in revenue for local businesses like hotels and restaurants. Local schools will also win.

Hancock proudly talks about the CFP's commitment to local schools at the K-12 level.

Legacy programs will start with classroom makeovers and continue from there. Hancock pledges that for as long as they play the CFP National Championship, the event will continue to offer financial support to schools in host cities like Houston.

"We don't want it to be for one year or two years. We want it to be for 10 years, or 20 years, or 30 years down the road," June Deadrick, host committee chair, said about how long schools and students will benefit from the CFP in Houston.

Hancock also hopes sports fans in Houston understand the importance of our city's world-class facilities in securing the game. He calls the NRG Stadium and the surrounding complex "world class," along with the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown.

Houston will also hold a special place in college football history. 2024 will mark the final time we see a four-team playoff format. The CFP will move to a 12-team format in 2025.

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