July 14, 2008

The Big Ten Conference office announced today that the 2008 Kickoff Luncheon is officially sold out, with more than 1,700 fans scheduled to attend the event on Friday, July 25, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The festivities will begin at 10 a.m. CT with the annual players and coaches autograph and photo session, open to all fans with tickets to the luncheon. The luncheon is set to follow at 11:30 a.m. CT.

                                                          

“The Big Ten looks forward to celebrating college football in front of another sellout crowd at the 37th Annual Kickoff Luncheon,” Big Ten Associate Commissioner Andrea Williams said. “The luncheon is the greatest preseason promotion of the sport in the country, and we are excited to welcome our fans, bowl and television partners and corporate sponsors to the city of Chicago for this outstanding event.”

           

The Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon annually draws some of the most interesting and talented names in college sports. The list of former Kickoff Luncheon attendees includes coaching legends like Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, along with each of the Big Ten's Heisman Trophy winners in the last 37 years - Archie Griffin, Desmond Howard, Eddie George, Charles Woodson, Ron Dayne and the conference’s most recent winner, Troy Smith. In all, almost 700 of the conference's finest players, more than 50 head coaches and nearly 40,000 supporters have made the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon a yearly stop in their preseason college football schedules.