HALL OF FAME ADDS HIGH SCHOOL CLASSIC GAMES,
APP FEATURES TO ‘CHARACTER’ PROGRAMMING
MESSAGES TARGETED AT TEENAGE STUDENT-ATHLETES ADVANCE
EMPHASIS IN 2025 THAT BEGAN WITH ‘CHARACTER’ EXHIBIT
CANTON, OHIO – The Pro Football Hall of Fame will host a high school football triple-header
Sept. 6 and will launch a 10-week series of character-development messages through its app
later this month as major additions to its youth-focused programming.
The inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame High School Classic will feature six high schools
that each graduated a member of the most elite club in sports – the 382 individuals who have
been enshrined in Canton. By the time those games are played, the Hall of Fame will be well
into a 70-day sequence of character messages delivered to
players, coaches and their families through its app.
These significant investments in young student-athletes
build off the Hall of Fame’s emphasis in 2025 to highlight
content and experiences related to teaching the positive
values associated with the game of football. The effort took
off in January with the opening of a special exhibit at the
museum titled, simply, “Character.”
“Thousands of kids and their families have engaged with the
multimedia storytelling of the ‘Character’ exhibit as part of their tours in the Hall to better
understand and appreciate how team sports, especially football, grow and enhance lifelong
positive traits learned on the field and in the locker room,” said Jim Porter, president & CEO of
the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Now the Hall is taking its emphasis on character development
forward in a big way with the High School Classic and the video messages sent to families via
the Hall app.
”
Leading off the triple-header of high school games will be Canton GlenOak (Dan Dierdorf, Hall
of Fame Class of 1996) against Cleveland East Tech (Bob Brown, Class of 2004) at noon.
Game 2 features two rival schools from the Pittsburgh area: Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Dan
Marino, Class of 2005) and Woodland Hills (Jason Taylor, Class of 2017) at 3:30 p.m. The
finale will showcase Canton McKinley (Marion Motley, Class of 1968) and Cleveland Heights2121 GEORGE HALAS DRIVE NW; CANTON, OH 44708 | PROFOOTBALLHOF.COM | @PROFOOTBALLHOF
(Tom Mack, Class of 1999) at 7 p.m.
Mack, along with Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz (Class of 1998), will be in attendance. Muñoz
was on hand for the ribbon-cutting when the Hall unveiled the “Character” exhibit and has been
part of the Hall’s National High School Football Council that has worked to bring the game and
the enhanced app to fruition.
Game tickets range in price from $6 for students (pre-sale, fees included) up to $21 for Gold
Section seats and are good all day. (Fans can watch all three games for one ticket with stadium
re-entry allowed.) For more information and to buy tickets in advance at a discount over game-
day gate prices, click here.
All three games also will be broadcast via FloSports, a live-streaming service that provides
access to thousands of live events per year across 20 sports. For more information, go to
FloCollege.com.
Media wishing to cover any of the three games should send an email with name(s), outlet and
whether press box or field access is desired to: HOFcommunications@ProFootballHOF.com with
“High School Classic media request” in the subject line.
HALL OF FAME APP
App messaging is slated to launch Saturday, Aug. 16, with an introductory video from Muñoz.
The program will continue daily along such weeklong themes as “Commitment,” “Handling
Adversity” and “Leadership” through the 10-week Ohio high school football regular season.
Inspirational messages will come from several members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and
other notable leaders.
The app is available for download on iOS and Android devices. Search for “Pro Football Hall of
Fame” in Apple’s App Store or on Google Play.
Both the app and the Pro Football Hall of Fame High School Classic are made possible through
the Hall’s relationship with Visit Canton, Stark County’s Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.
Museum guests can experience the “Character” exhibit as part of their regular admission to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame. Doors are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day. On Sept. 2,
winter hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) will take effect.
For more information and to plan a visit, click here.
###
CONTACTS:
Rich Desrosiers, Chief Communications & Content Officer
Rich.Desrosiers@ProFootballHOF.com; 330-588-36222121 GEORGE HALAS DRIVE NW; CANTON, OH 44708 | PROFOOTBALLHOF.COM | @PROFOOTBALLHOF
Jim Smith, Content Manager
Jim.Smith@ProFootballHOF.com; 330-588-3682
Nathan Martin, Communications Coordinator
Nathan.Martin@ProFootballHOF.com; 330-588-3675
ABOUT THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the National Football League, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution with the Mission to Honor the Greatest of the Game, Preserve its History,
Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence Together.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. AAM accreditation is national
recognition for the museum’s commitment to excellence and the highest professional standards of museum
operation and public service.
Hundreds of thousands of fans from across the globe travel to Canton annually to experience an inspirational,
interactive museum that chronicles America’s most popular sport. Fans can also enjoy the Hall of Fame Store at the
Hall, and online at shop.profootballhof.com, for merchandise from all 32 NFL clubs plus the Hall of Fame. Proceeds
from the Store support the Hall’s Mission.
