Minnesota Launches Bid for College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2020

Press Release

Governor Mark Dayton announced today that an organized campaign is underway to pursue the 2020 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship. Governor Dayton announced that Scot Housh, President and CEO of Willis of Minnesota, Inc. and Chris Policinski, President and CEO of Land O'Lakes, Inc. will co-chair the effort.

"The College Football Playoff Championship would bring thousands of visitors to Minnesota and showcase our state to millions of Americans," said Governor Mark Dayton. "We will pursue this premiere sporting event with the same determination that secured the 2018 Super Bowl and 2019 Final Four Tournament."

Housh and Policinski will serve as co-chairs of the Minnesota CFP Steering Committee, which is comprised of representatives from Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), Meet Minneapolis/Sports Minneapolis, the Minnesota Vikings and the University of Minnesota.

The College Football Playoff National Championship is now contested through a four-team bracket system, the College Football Playoff, which replaces the previous Bowl Championship Series. The first CFP National Championship took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 12, 2015. The 2016 game will be played in Arizona and the 2017 game will be played in Tampa Bay, Fla. The CFP National Championship is the most important college football game of the year and is expected to grow over time, bringing thousands of football fans to the destinations chosen to host this top-tier event.

"The bold, new Minnesota Stadium will soon be the premier facility in the nation for football," said Scot Housh. "We plan to add the 2020 CFP National Championship to the growing list of events held in downtown Minneapolis, which is on the radar as a city that is easy to get to and easy to get around.

"Additionally, we have world-class practice facilities and numerous top venues for ancillary events that give us the confidence we will provide the best fan and player experience in the country."

Lessons learned from Minnesota's recent experience in putting together the successful Super Bowl LII bid and 2019 NCAA Men's Final Four bid demonstrated that these efforts require the energy, effort and collaboration of our community and business leadership to be successful.

"The leadership shown by our business community is second-to-none," said Chris Policinski. "We're an engaged community that works together for the benefit of the entire state. We have strong partners in the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings, as well as other strategic partners in the MSFA and Meet Minneapolis, and this public/private partnership model will continue to serve us well as we strive to bring the CFP to Minnesota in 2020."

Governor Dayton also named three honorary co-chairs to support Minnesota's bid for the CFP National Championship:

Jerry Kill, head football coach, University of Minnesota.

Randall McDaniel, football Hall of Famer, former Minnesota Vikings player and current teacher.

Erika Binger, chair of the McKnight Foundation Board of Directors and former triathlete.

"The CFP is truly exciting for any fan of college football," said Coach Kill. "The new format gives teams an opportunity to rise to the top, with the best of the best playing for the chance to get to the national championship game. At the University of Minnesota, we are excited about this as well as the potential to have the eyes of the college football world on our home town, which is also the best of the best when it comes to hosting excellent experiences for fans and players."

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