The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame today recognized Ohio State (14-2) as the recipient of the 2024 NFF MacArthur Bowl National Championship Trophy following the team’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame (14-2) yesterday in the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship Presented by AT&T before a sellout crowd of 77,660 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The name of the 2024 Buckeyes will now be etched alongside the greatest teams in college football history on the MacArthur Bowl Championship Trophy, marking the fifth time Ohio State has hit the milestone (1968, 1970, 2002, 2014 and now 2024). The trophy is housed at the Chickfil- A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and has been presented since 1959.
“On behalf of the National Football Foundation, our 12,000 members, our Board of Directors and Chairman Archie Manning, we are extremely proud to recognize Coach Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “This trophy was started in 1959 by General Douglas MacArthur, the great sportswriter Grantland Rice and legendary coach Red Blaik, and etched on the side of this stadium replica in all silver are all of the subsequent national champions. As the keepers of the history and the legacy of the sport of football, we are exceptionally pleased to maintain this unique tradition by etching the 2024 Ohio State team on its walls.”
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard claimed offensive MVP honors, completing 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns while adding 16 carries for 57 yards on the ground. Howard began the game with 13 consecutive completions, establishing a new CFP title game record. Buckeye running back Quinshon Judkins rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns while gaining 21 yards and another touchdown through the air. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon was named the defensive MVP with eight tackles, including one tackle for loss. Linebacker Sonny Styles added six stops on defense. Coach Day has led the Buckeyes to a 7010 record in six seasons as head coach, including two Big Ten Titles (2019, 2020) and now a national crown.
With the win, Ohio State claimed its first MacArthur Bowl since 2014, having captured the trophy that year under head coach Urban Meyer (who the NFF announced last week as a member of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class.) College Football Hall of Fame coaches Jim Tressel (2002) and Woody Hayes (1968 and 1970 as co-honoree) also had the names of their teams etched on the trophy’s fabled archways.
Presented to every national champion since 1959, the MacArthur Bowl represents the pinnacle of team achievement in college sports, and each year during its 66-year history a new name has been etched alongside the greatest teams of all time. The trophy, a replica of a football stadium, features archways with space to engrave the names of 100 teams and miniature goal posts. The trophy was the gift of an anonymous donor, who commissioned Tiffany & Co. to craft it from 400 ounces of silver, in honor of early NFF leader General Douglas MacArthur. It took eight months to make, and the trophy features MacArthur’s famous quote: “There is no substitute for victory.”
During college football’s Poll Era, the NFF MacArthur Bowl Committee selected the recipient of the trophy. With the advent of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998, the national championship game has determined which team claimed the MacArthur Bowl, a tradition that continues under the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State, with two CFP national titles, now joins Alabama (3), Clemson (2) and Georgia (2) as the only schools to have multiple titles during the CFP era. Including the national titles presented before the creation of the MacArthur Bowl in 1959, Ohio State now claims a total of nine national titles in school history, adding titles in 1942, 1954, and 1957. (The Buckeyes count an FWAA title in 1961 during the poll era when the NFF recognized Alabama as the MacArthur Bowl recipient.)
Twenty-four different schools have claimed the MacArthur Bowl at least once during its 66year history. Alabama has hoisted it the most, claiming it 10 times. Ohio State now ties Notre Dame for the second most wins with five each while Miami (FL), Southern California and Texas have each etched their names four times on the trophy. Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska and Oklahoma each boast three trophies. Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State have each won the trophy twice.
First presented in 1959, NFF National Champions and MacArthur Bowl recipients include: Syracuse 1959, Minnesota 1960, Alabama 1961, Southern California 1962, Texas 1963, Notre Dame 1964, Michigan State 1965, Michigan State/Notre Dame 1966, Southern California 1967, Ohio State 1968, Texas 1969, Ohio State/Texas 1970, Nebraska 1971, Southern California 1972, Notre Dame 1973, Southern California 1974, Oklahoma 1975, Pittsburgh 1976, Notre Dame 1977, Alabama 1978, Alabama 1979, Georgia 1980, Clemson 1981, Penn State 1982, Miami (FL) 1983, Brigham Young 1984, Oklahoma 1985, Penn State 1986, Miami (FL) 1987, Notre Dame 1988, Miami (FL) 1989, Colorado 1990, Washington 1991, Alabama 1992, Florida State 1993, Nebraska 1994, Nebraska 1995, Florida 1996, Michigan 1997, Tennessee 1998, Florida State 1999, Oklahoma 2000, Miami (FL) 2001, Ohio State 2002, LSU 2003, Vacated 2004, Texas 2005, Florida 2006, LSU 2007, Florida 2008, Alabama 2009, Auburn 2010, Alabama 2011, Alabama 2012, Florida State 2013, Ohio State 2014, Alabama 2015, Clemson 2016, Alabama 2017, Clemson 2018, LSU 2019, Alabama 2020, Georgia 2021, Georgia 2022, Michigan 2023 and Ohio State 2024.
