Celebrate National College Football Day!

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - The holiday season is upon us, and it kicks off with National College Football Day on Saturday, Nov. 7... an event that honors the birth of college football while increasing awareness and raising money for The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the National Association of Collegiate Football Officials (NACFO), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) and the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA) have teamed up with the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic and The V Foundation for Cancer Research as official partners of the Sixth Annual National College Football Day.

"The support we have received from these organizations has been phenomenal," said Rick Baker, President of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. "Thanks to these great partnerships, we have raised more than $50,000 for The V Foundation over the past two years, and we hope to build upon the success and continue to increase cancer awareness and raise money for a great cause."

National College Football Day, observed on the first Saturday of November, was created by the AT&T Cotton Bowl six years ago as a way to pay tribute to a significant moment in our nation's history. On Nov. 6, 1869, Rutgers defeated Princeton, 6-4. More importantly, those college athletes left a lasting legacy that would evolve into the great spectacle of football. In 2006, the holiday took on added significance when the Classic teamed up with The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The V Foundation, based in Cary, N.C., was founded in 1993 by ESPN and legendary coach and commentator Jim Valvano. The Foundation has raised more than $90 million to fund essential cancer research nationwide. The Foundation proudly assures donors that 100% of all donations and net proceeds of events are directly used to fund research and related programs, and has earned a prestigious four-star rating from Charity Navigator (charity rating service) for seven consecutive ranking periods.

To honor college football's 140th birthday, the AT&T Cotton Bowl has produced limited edition lapel pins. Over 4,000 pins will be distributed to coaches, athletic directors, university presidents, sports publicists, game officials, equipment managers and media throughout the United States in hopes that everyone will wear their pin on National College Football Day.

The AFCA has asked each Football Bowl Subdivision head coach to donate a minimum of $140, one dollar for each year of college football. NACFO has requested that each game official donate a portion of their stipend on NCFD in support of The V Foundation. The FWAA has made a donation to The V Foundation and will work to solicit other donations from within its membership. CoSIDA and AEMA are the newest additions to NCFD's partners. Both organizations lent their support to NCFD for the first time this year and have pledged to help spread the word about this great cause.

"We're again honored to be the charitable partner of National College Football Day, which we know will help bring attention to the need for cancer research," said Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation. "We are grateful to the entire college football community, including the coaches, game officials, college publicists, equipment managers and media for lending their credibility and visibility to the celebration of National College Football Day and embracing The V Foundation and our mission of funding cancer research."

For more information on National College Football Day and to learn more about The V Foundation for Cancer Research, please visit www.NationalCollegeFootballDay.com.