MacArthur Trophy

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The MacArthur Trophy is a trophy awarded annually by the National Football Foundation to the NCAA Division I-FBS college football team or teams determined to be the national champion. There is only one trophy itself, much like the Stanley Cup, and it is kept by the winning institution for one year. The trophy itself is made of 400 ounces of silver and is fashioned in the shape of a football stadium 25 inches by 18 inches on its base and 10 inches tall. The trophy is one of many national championship trophies awarded in NCAA Division I-FBS college football, due to the fact that the NCAA itself does not sanction a championship tournament as it does in most other sports. It is a separate award from the AFCA National Championship Trophy, the Crystal football, awarded at the conclusion of the BCS National Championship Game. The 2007 award was presented to the 2007 LSU Tigers football team in a ceremony the day after the 2008 BCS National Championship Game.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

The trophy was the gift of an anonymous donor in honor of General Douglas A. MacArthur, a founder of National Football Foundation. The trophy features his famous quote: "There is no substitute for victory."[1] MacArthur was known to have a keen interest in college football, Army Cadet football in particular.[2] MacArthur had served as student manager of the Army team during his cadet days. During World War II, he sent a telegram congratulating Army on an undefeated 1944 College football season and defeat of Navy in the Army-Navy game. The telegram read, "The greatest of all Army teams. We have stopped the war to celebrate your magnificent success."[2][3][4]

The trophy was first presented in 1959[1][5], and has been presented annually since then. Since its inception, there have been occasions where the MacArthur trophy winner differed from the AP Poll winner, UPI Poll winner or both. Since 1998, with the advent of the Bowl Championship Series, the trophy has been awarded to the winner of the BCS National Championship Game.

[edit] Past winners

Year Team Coach
1959 Syracuse Ben Schwartzwalder
1960 Minnesota Murray Warmath
1961 Alabama Bear Bryant
1962 Southern California John McKay
1963 Texas Darrell Royal
1964 Notre Dame Ara Parseghian
1965 Michigan State Duffy Daugherty
1966 Michigan State
Notre Dame
Duffy Daugherty
Ara Parseghian
1967 Southern California John McKay
1968 Ohio State Woody Hayes
1969 Texas Darrell Royal
1970 Ohio State
Texas
Woody Hayes
Darrell Royal
1971 Nebraska Bob Devaney
1972 Southern California John McKay
1973 Notre Dame Ara Parseghian
1974 Southern California John McKay
1975 Oklahoma Barry Switzer
1976 Pittsburgh Johnny Majors
1977 Notre Dame Dan Devine
1978 Alabama Bear Bryant
1979 Alabama Bear Bryant
1980 Georgia Vince Dooley
1981 Clemson Danny Ford
1982 Penn State Joe Paterno
1983 Miami (FL) Howard Schnellenberger
1984 Brigham Young Lavell Edwards
1985 Oklahoma Barry Switzer
1986 Penn State Joe Paterno
1987 Miami (FL) Jimmy Johnson
1988 Notre Dame Lou Holtz
1989 Miami (FL) Dennis Erickson
1990 Colorado Bill McCartney
1991 Washington Don James
1992 Alabama Gene Stallings
1993 Florida State Bobby Bowden
1994 Nebraska Tom Osborne
1995 Nebraska Tom Osborne
1996 Florida Steve Spurrier
1997 Michigan Lloyd Carr
1998 Tennessee Phil Fulmer
1999 Florida State Bobby Bowden
2000 Oklahoma Bob Stoops
2001 Miami (FL) Larry Coker
2002 Ohio State Jim Tressel
2003 LSU Nick Saban
2004 Southern California Pete Carroll
2005 Texas Mack Brown
2006 Florida Urban Meyer
2007 LSU Les Miles

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c MacArthur Trophy Claimed by Louisiana State Tigers
  2. ^ a b *Manchester, William (1983), American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880–1964, Laurel, ISBN 0-440-30424-5 
  3. ^ *Whittingham, Richard. (December 1985). Saturday Afternoon: College Football and the Men Who Made the Day: Workman Pub Co. ISBN 0894809334
  4. ^ Michael Mandelbaum. (2005). The Meaning Of Sports: Why Americans Watch Baseball, Football, and Basketball and What They See When They Do. PublicAffairs publishing ISBN 1586483307
  5. ^ National Football Foundation - History of the MacArthur Trophy