The MacArthur Trophy
Founded: 1959

Current Winner
Former Winners


Since 1959, the MacArthur Trophy has been presented by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

It is annually awarded by The National Football Foundation to the outstanding college football team of the season.

Since it was first offered in 1959, the trophy is looked upon as one of the most celebrated and sought-after team football trophies in America.

The winner of each year's BCS National Championship is automatically declared the winner of the MacArthur Trophy and is presented with the trophy the next day.

The trophy was a gift of an anonymous donor in the name of the late General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur. General MacArthur served for several years as chairman of the Foundation's National Advisory Board.

The trophy was designed by Tiffany & Company from suggestions made by the general himself. The trophy measures 25 inches by 18 inches on its base and stands 10 inches tall. It representes a huge stadium with rows of seats carved in relief.

Miniature goal posts stand on a field of etched yard lines. The entrance arches on the stadium exterior are used for engraving the names of winning teams, and there is room for 100 of these. As a result, the trophy can remain in competition for all but a few years of football's second century.

Almost 400 ounces of silver went into the trophy, which took eight months to design and manufacture. The trophy is on display at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.