By Chris Garvin
NFF President & CEO set to be recognized for his contributions to college football post season during this year’s Orange Bowl.
IRVING, Texas (Dec. 28, 2023) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame highlighted today that NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell will formally be honored Dec. 30 before the 90th Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium, featuring No. 5 Florida State (13-0) and No. 6 Georgia (12-1). In April, Hatchell, who headed the Orange Bowl from 1987-93 as its executive director, was announced as a 2023 Bowl Season Leadership Hall of Fame inductee.
“The success of the Orange Bowl has been possible because of the foundation, vision and support of great leaders like Steve Hatchell,” said Eric Poms, CEO of the Orange Bowl Committee. “Steve is a dear friend and mentor, and I have a deep appreciation for his lifelong commitment to college football and for remaining a strong advocate for not just the Orange Bowl’s mission, but intercollegiate athletics overall.”
The Bowl Season Leadership Hall of Fame recognizes individuals or groups who through their actions have contributed significantly to college football bowl organizations specifically and to the entire bowl system generally. Hatchell joins Dick Circuit (Holiday Bowl), Paul Hoolahan (Sugar Bowl), and Olin Morris (Liberty Bowl) in making up the 2023 Class.
“I am thrilled to be honored for my work with the Orange Bowl,” said Hatchell. “I was blessed to work with some of the greatest thinkers and leaders in college athletics who served on the Orange Bowl Committee at the time. The organization has always attracted really smart people who know how to make an impact in the community. Eric Poms has really built upon the legacy of the organization, taking it to new heights.”
Four of the six Orange Bowl games during Hatchell’s run in South Florida had national title implications, and he led the Orange Bowl at a critical time in the development of the college football post-season. During his tenure, Hatchell helped launch the Bowl Coalition, which was the precursor to Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and then the College Football Playoff (CFP) with each as a successor in transitioning from the poll era to a system where the top teams would compete for a national title. While at the Orange Bowl, Hatchell also served for five years as the chairman of the Bowl Season, which was formerly known as the Football Bowl Association.
Other significant milestones during Hatchell’s tenure with the Orange Bowl included landing Federal Express (now FedEx) as the game’s title sponsor, a relationship that lasted 18 years; producing an Emmy-nominated halftime show; partnering with the Palm Beach County Sports Commission to launch the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, which is presented to the college football’s top kicker; and securing Rolex as the sponsor of the Orange Bowl International Tennis Tournament.
Hatchell’s tenure at the Orange Bowl witnessed some of the most iconic matchups in college football history, including:
Jan. 1, 1988: No. 2 Miami-FL defeating No. 1 Oklahoma, 20-14*
Jan. 2, 1989: No. 2 Miami-FL defeating No. 6 Nebraska, 23-3
Jan. 1, 1990: No. 4 Notre Dame defeating No. 1 Colorado, 21-6*
Jan. 1, 1991: No. 1 Colorado defeating No. 5 Notre Dame, 10-9*
Jan. 1, 1992: No. 1 Miami-FL defeating No. 11 Nebraska, 22-0*
Jan. 1, 1993: No. 3 Florida State defeating No. 11 Nebraska, 27-14
*Game directly or indirectly determined the national champion
COURTESY NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION COMMUNICATIONS
