College Football Hall of Fame ceremony coming to Las Vegas

Another marquee sporting event is coming to Las Vegas this winter.

The National Football Foundation is bringing its annual awards dinner to Las Vegas from New York, where it’s taken place since its inception some 63 years ago.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is the presenting sponsor, and the event also features the induction of the 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame classes.

The NFF typically plans the dinner in April, but the two primary hotels in New York that the organization utilizes for the event were closed during the planning process.

“At the time we had to make a decision, we felt like we couldn’t wait,” said NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell. “We like a hotel environment. … We had talked about looking West. Why don’t we take advantage of this opportunity?”

The dinner is scheduled for Dec. 7 at the ARIA and is set to feature more than 2,000 people, per Hatchell, making it the largest gathering ever for the event. College football luminaries from the past and present are expected to comprise the crowd, along with the players who are going to earn hardware for their play this season.

Archie Manning serves as the organization’s chairman and issued a statement about the importance of the event.

“We are excited about the return of the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, and we’re looking forward to hosting the college football community in Las Vegas,” he said. “As the NFF and the city of Las Vegas look to return to normal, we salute the LVCVA for recognizing the importance of this special event and stepping up as the presenting sponsor.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.