ATLANTA- The 2014 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl featuring No. 6 TCU and No. 9 Ole Miss is now less than 24 hours away, and fans of both teams are flocking to Atlanta to see the big match-up.
There are plenty of things to do when fans travel to bowl games, but none measure up to the brand new College Football Hall of Fame on Marietta Street in Downtown Atlanta. Whether you’re a fan of the Ole Miss Rebels, the Grambling Tigers, the Florida State Seminoles or the Naval Academy there is plenty for you to see for every team.
Right when you walk in, you see a massive wall of football helmets that will blow you away (right). Every school in the United States is represented. If you think that’s cool, you have no idea. When checking in, you select your school, and that helmet lights up immediately after. Many of the helmets were lit in blue, meaning they had been represented that day.
To say that the upstairs areas will blow you away is quite the understatement. The technology available is unbelievable. Upon walking up to video screens, fans scan their passes and it shows you a fascinating history of hall of famers for your favorite school. I was able to watch highlights and see facts about great Rebels like Johnny Vaught, Archie Manning and Charlie Conerly among others. No where else can you get such a vast collection of information at your fingertips- that’s what makes this place unique.
On the second floor, all of the major bowl trophies are on display, as well as the Heisman Trophy and many individual awards. This gives fans the opportunity to see what the players are vying for each season when they otherwise may never see that hardware.
Football isn’t the only thing represented though. There are displays for mascots, bands and even tailgating. Yes…tailgating. An incredible interactive ESPN College Gameday set for fans can enjoy, as well as fight song karaoke for your favorite school are the highlights of the second floor.
Fans can read about the biggest rivalries in the game in one section, and in another you can see the evolution of the equipment players wear. If that’s not good enough for you, fans can head across the room and have an interactive Q&A with hall of famers like Peyton Manning and Roger Staubach. If you can think of it, the College Football Hall of Fame probably has it.
The next time you plan your trip to Atlanta, this new attraction should be on the top of your to-do list. I would suggest getting their early when you go, by mid-afternoon the line of Ole Miss and TCU fans waiting to get in was down the street.
Special thanks to Marcus Margerum for the ticket assist and his kindness upon our arrival. For more information about the College Football Hall of Fame or to purchase tickets visit CFBHall.com.
Connor Hennessey is a writer and radio host in Oxford, Miss. He can be reached by email at cmhennes@go.olemiss.edu or @ConnorHennes on Twitter. Follow the Rebels at OleMissSports.com.
