Minnesota enters bid to host NCAA football championship

Gov. Dayton announced today that a bid is underway to bring the 2020 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship to the Twin Cities. 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 bold, new Minnesota Stadium will soon be the premier facility in the nation for football," Housh said.

With the Super Bowl coming to the Vikings new stadium in 2018, and the NCAA Final Four being hosted in 2019, the college football title in 2020 would add on another huge sporting event for the Twin Cities.

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

The committee is comprised of representatives from Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), Meet Minneapolis/Sports Minneapolis, the Minnesota Vikings and the University of Minnesota.

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," Coach Kill said. "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."