University of Georgia Recognized as 2022 NFF MacArthur Bowl Recipient
Georgia named back-to-back recipient of the MacArthur Bowl, claiming the trophy for the third time in school history as the Bulldogs concluded their season with a win over TCU in the CFP National Championship.
IRVING, TEXAS (Jan. 10, 2023) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame today recognized No. 1 Georgia (15-0) as the recipient of the 2022 NFF MacArthur Bowl National Championship Trophy following the team’s 65-7 victory over No. 3 TCU (13-2) yesterday in the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship Presented by AT&T before a sellout crowd of 72,628 fans at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The name of the 2022 Bulldogs will now be etched alongside the greatest teams in college football history on the MacArthur Bowl Championship Trophy, including the 1980 and 2021 Georgia teams. The trophy is housed at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. An event honoring the team will take place at the Hall in the future.
“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 Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “This trophy was started in 1959 by General Douglas MacArthur, the great sports writer 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 2022 Georgia team on its walls.”
Stetson Bennett IV, the former walk-on who has now led Georgia to back-to-back titles in storybook fashion, claimed the game’s offensive MVP honors, completing 18 of 25 passes for 304 yards. He threw for four touchdowns and ran for another two, tying him at first for most points scored (36) in a CFP title game. Safety Javon Bullard earned defensive MVP honors, picking off two passes and recovering a fumble, all before the half, which helped give the Bulldogs a 38-7 advantage after two quarters.
With the win, Georgia claimed its third MacArthur Bowl, having captured the MacArthur Bowl in 1980, under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Vince Dooley, and last year with Coach Smart. Prior to the presentation of the MacArthur Bowl in 1959, Georgia was recognized as national champions by polling agencies in 1920, 1927, 1942 and 1946. A team in the current SEC has now claimed the trophy 21 times.
Presented to every national champion since 1959, the MacArthur Bowl represents the pinnacle of team achievement in college sports, and each year during its 64-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.”
Twenty-four different schools have claimed the trophy at least once during its 64-year history. Alabama has hoisted it the most, claiming it 10 times. Notre Dame is second with five wins while Ohio State, Miami (FL), Southern California and Texas have each etched their names four times on the trophy. Georgia joins Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Nebraska and Oklahoma as three-time recipients. Michigan State and Penn State have each won the trophy twice.
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.
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 and Georgia 2022.
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