"FINISH!" is on display in the American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA) at the Academy in Daphne

USSA College Football Game of the Year contest kicks off

United States Sports Academy contest begins eleventh year

USSA.edu
Posted 9/2/16

As the 2016-17 college football season approaches with a selection of high profile matchups in its first weekend of action, the United States Sports Academy is ready to kick off its 2016 College Football Game of the Year Award series.

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"FINISH!" is on display in the American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA) at the Academy in Daphne

USSA College Football Game of the Year contest kicks off

United States Sports Academy contest begins eleventh year

Posted

DAPHNE, Ala. – As the 2016-17 college football season approaches with a selection of high profile matchups in its first weekend of action, the United States Sports Academy is ready to kick off its 2016 College Football Game of the Year Award series.

For the eleventh consecutive year, the Academy is conducting its College Football Game of the Year Award, which was developed in 2005 to pay tribute to a team whose efforts in a college football game exemplify the principles of high athletic endeavor, complete dedication to victory, and unified team effort.

Under the Academy’s College Football Game of the Year program, a Game of the Week is selected throughout the football season and publicized. The College Football Game of the Year is selected from those games and post season play. Voting for the awards is conducted by a blue-ribbon committee that is comprised of former athletic directors and coaches along with individuals active in college football who meet specific criteria to serve on the committee and exhibit no bias in their vote.

The College Football Game of the Year Award is part of the Academy’s Awards of Sport series, a function of the American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA), which was established as “a tribute to the artist and the athlete.”

The College Football Game of the Year Committee is chaired by Jack Lengyel, the former U.S. Naval Academy athletic director and the college football coach known for resurrecting the Marshall University football program.

Committee members are former University of Georgia head football coach and Athletic Director Vince Dooley; former National Football Foundation CEO Robert Casciola; former Temple University and Alabama State University head football coach Ron Dickerson; former Ohio State University Athletic Director James Jones; Managing Editor of the American Football Monthly Rex Lardner; former University of Washington Athletic Director Mike Lude; former University of California Athletic Director Dave Maggard; sport artist Daniel Moore; former Marshall University head football coach Bob Pruett; former Air Force Academy Athletic Director Randy Spetman; former Arizona State University Athletic Director Dick Tamburo; former University of Notre Dame Associate Athletic Director Roger Valdiserri; former Athletic Director at U.S. Military Academy Al Vanderbush; and former Oklahoma State University and Washington State University Athletic Director Dr. Richard Young.

United States Sports Academy in-house committee members are Chair of Sports Coaching Dr. Bret Simmermacher and Director of Doctoral Studies Dr. Fred Cromartie.

Each year at the conclusion of the college football season Moore, the ASAMA 2005 Sport Artist of the Year, is commissioned by the Academy to render a painting depicting a memorable and pivotal moment to commemorate the selected College Football Game of the Year. In addition, the Academy contributes $5,000 to the winning university’s scholarship fund.

Following the 2015-16 season Moore created a painting titled “FINISH!” to commemorate Alabama’s 45-40 win against Clemson in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. The painting depicts former Alabama running back Kenyan Drake’s memorable dive into the end zone to complete a 95-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter that gave the team its final lead in the victory.

Fans are encouraged to follow the Academy’s Game of the Year process and compare their selected games of the week to the committee’s selection.

The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports. For more information about the Academy, call (251) 626-3303 or visit USSA.edu.