Break out the foam finger and pom poms because it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for all season. The College Football National Championship game is here.
Go forth and impress with your sports knowledge,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Things to Know About the College National Championship Game
- Alabama (#1) and Clemson (#2) will battle it out for the title of National Champion on Monday at 8 pm EST. This game is a rematch of last year’s championship where Alabama defeated Clemson 45-40.
- The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL which resembles a pirate ship. It’s the first outdoor site for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Tampa is close to both schools (roughly 580 miles) therefore the demand for tickets is high. The average ticket price is $1,125.
- Alabama head coach Nick Saban is looking for his sixth championship title and if he wins he will tie the all-time win record. (He has won four championships with Alabama). Saban is the highest paid public employee in the country with a salary of $7 million.
- Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a walk on at Alabama and part of their 1993 championship team. During his college days at ‘Bama, Swinney lived with his mom and a roommate in a two-bedroom apartment due to financial constraints.
- The teams receive $2.16 million for their travel expenses but there’s no additional bonus for playing in the championship game. (The conferences received a $6 million bonus for their teams that made it to the final four).
Overtime
- This week members of the New York Giants (NFL – National Football League) partied in the Miami clubs with Justin Bieber and shirtless on a yacht.
When asked about his teammates antics in advance of their playoff game this weekend, Giants quarterback Eli Manning voiced his displeasure by stating that he "was a little disappointed…Obviously they didn’t pack accordingly. They didn’t have any shirts. Kind of long pants. No shorts. No flip flops or anything.”
Sideline stat
- The Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB – Major League Baseball) sued Maricopa County who maintains Chase Field, their home ballpark. The 19-year old stadium is in need of $187 million in upgrades and there’s an impasse on who should pick up the tab. The team expressed interest in playing elsewhere.
Coaches’ corner
- The NFL’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced their finalists for this year’s class. They include:
- Jerry Jones, Owner, Dallas Cowboys
- LaDainian Tomlinson, Former running back, San Diego Chargers
- Terrell Davis, Former running back, Denver Broncos
- Kurt Warner, Former quarterback, Arizona Cardinals
- See the full list here.
The 2017 Hall of Fame class will be elected on February 4th.
