College Football Hall of Fame to debut Goodyear Blimp exhibit
Exhibit opens to public on Friday
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After a sports career stretching more than six decades, the Goodyear Blimp will be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame this week in the form of an exhibit that will give fans a glimpse at its history.
The exhibit, which is set to open to the public on Friday, was designed to resemble the aircraft’s interior. The Goodyear Blimp has been a fixture at major sporting events for decades, providing aerial views of stadiums before the advent of drones.
Visitors to the exhibit will be able to interact with actual items from Goodyear Blimps of years past and see video footage shot from the airship of college football stadiums around the country. Artifacts on display include the blimp’s original broadcast video.
The Goodyear Blimp, a staple at college football’s biggest competitions, was honorarily inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year as the first non-player or coach to receive the honor. (Todd Kirkland/AP Images for Goodyear)
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“The Goodyear Blimp is intrinsically tied to the history and traditions of college football, and through this exhibit, we’re offering fans a chance to experience the game in a way only this iconic airship could provide,” said Dennis Adamovich, CEO of the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame. “It’s only fitting that in its honorary induction year, we unveil an exhibit that celebrates the blimp’s legacy, which has revolutionized the way fans experience the game they love.”
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The Goodyear Blimp fleet has had a presence at more than 2,000 sports and entertainment events since its debut, according to a press release. The aircraft first appeared in college football for the 1955 Rose Bowl.
Upcoming events that will feature a Goodyear Blimp include the Dec. 22 matchup between the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins, as well as the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 13 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The new Goodyear Blimp exhibit resembles the iconic airship’s passenger gondola and features actual blimp artifacts, including an original broadcast window. (Todd Kirkland/AP Images for Goodyear)
“With thousands of great players and games that the Goodyear Blimp has witnessed as college football’s eye in the sky, its impact on the sport’s pageantry and tradition is palpable,” said ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit. “It’s great that the College Football Hall of Fame is preserving the blimp’s legacy for current and future fans.”