NCAA Football Youth Initiative Background
As a part of NCAA Football's ongoing mission to promote college football to fans of all ages, NCAA Football is making a significant investment to support youth football across the country. It all began in 2007, when NCAA Football made a $750,000 commitment to help re-build the New Orleans Recreation Department's youth football league in the form of clinics for coaches, players and officials; uniforms; balls; equipment; and a postseason banquet at the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Building on that success, NCAA Football has committed $1.5 million over three years to a three-pronged national youth program that began in 2008. Through this initiative, NCAA Football strives to attract more youth participants to the game, provide them with additional motivation to pursue higher education opportunities, help them develop the necessary skills to be successful on and off the field, and help establish a new base of lifelong NCAA Football fans.
In 2008, NCAA Football awarded 89 grants to collegiate branded uniforms and pants to youth football teams across the country, hosted three youth football clinics at no cost to participants and partnered with the 2008 BCS National Championship host, the Orange Bowl Committee, to assist in revitalizing a Miami park that will include new football playing fields.
For 2009, the collegiate apparel grant program targeted 100 youth football teams age 14 and under. NCAA Football will partner with bowl committees nationwide to host nine youth football clinics. In addition, another project is planned in conjunction with the city of Pasadena and the the Rose Bowl Committee, hosts of the 2009 Citi BCS National Championship game, to benefit youth in the city.
Become a friend of the NCAA Football Youth Initiative Facebook page!
Please check out the NCAA Football Youth Initiative Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/NCAA-Football-Youth-Initiative/104099802891) for photos, videos, event updates and news on the youth football program. More importantly, we want you to participate! Update us and other fans on your youth athlete’s progress by posting your own stories, photos and videos of their skills and sportsmanship on our Facebook wall. We want you to share everything – from great plays to outstanding teamwork to giving back to the community.
National Youth Football PSA
In an effort to promote the NCAA Football Youth Initiative on a national platform, NCAA Football created a national youth PSA that is available to institutions, conferences and bowl games for use in-stadium during games, online and during television broadcasts.
Youth Football PSA