HOUSTON — Organizers for this season’s College Football Playoff Championship game announced a full slate of events for championship weekend in Houston.
Organizers said more than 100,000 people from Houston and around the country are expected to attend the fan events scheduled prior to the CFP National Championship. The Host Committee and the CFP Foundation are also making several efforts to give back to Houston teachers.
Here’s a list of some of the events happening leading up to the title game:
- Opening Friday, Jan. 5: Playoff Fan Central at the George R. Brown Convention Center is a free, interactive fan experience including games, pep rallies, band performances, guest appearances and exhibits celebrating college football.
- Opening Friday, Jan. 5: AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! is a free, three-day weekend of concerts at Shell Energy Stadium, talent and details on how to attend will be announced in November.
- Saturday, Jan. 6: Media Day is a free event for fans to watch and listen to one-hour interview sessions with student-athletes and coaches from the participating teams within Playoff Fan Central at the GRB.
- Sunday, January 7: Trophy Trot, a 5K and 10K race through downtown Houston. Participants will get a medal and t-shirt, with proceeds benefitting the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers platform.
- Sunday, January 7: Taste of the Championship is where gourmet food and drinks will be prepared by local Houston chefs at Union Station downtown, with proceeds benefitting the Extra Yard for Teacher’s platform.
Information on how to register for those events will be released in the fall.
The CFP Championship game will be played Monday, January 8.
The CFP Foundation is working with Houston Loves Teachers, a campaign that organizers said will recruit, reward and retain teachers in the greater Houston area. Since the campaign launched in May 2023, more than 15,000 educators from across a dozen Houston-area school districts engaged with the campaign, according to a release.
A campus beautification campaign within Houston Loves Teachers was also announced on Monday. Local artist Alex Roman Jr., who goes by Donkeeboy, is working on a mural project at Milby High School, his alma mater.
“To kick this off with a mural of my own at my old high school, I mean it’s just super special. I can’t find anything close in my career that I’ve done that can compare to this,” Roman Jr. told KHOU 11.
The Houston Host Committee said it will host an Extra Yard for Teachers Summit on Saturday, January 6 offering professional development for teachers in the Houston area. June Deadrick, Chair of the Houston Host Committee, said these events will leave an impact beyond the big game.
“We’re building an infrastructure for our teachers that’s going to last years into the future. Those children impacted today will become teachers and that’s all from a seed planted at this event,” Deadrick said.
Roman Jr. said during Thursday’s kickoff that he had some teachers who inspired him. He appreciates what the Foundation is doing to help others.
“My science teacher. I can’t remember her name, it’s been a long time but I’m a teacher myself and I teach art class on Saturdays. I devote my time on Saturdays to doing that, so I just love the idea, and the whole concept of this, it’s just amazing,” Roman Jr. said.
To register for the summit, you can visit CFP-Foundation.org.