30 bucket list items college football fans need to experience

15. Heisman Trophy Gala

Named for legendary coach John Heisman and given annually every year since 1935, the Heisman Memorial Trophy is college football’s top individual honor. Originally awarded to the best player east of the Mississippi River, the award was extended to include all players nationwide in 1936, and 82 of the greatest players in the history of the sport have been honored.

The bronze Heisman Trophy statue is the most iconic trophy in the sport, and the ceremony to name its winner has grown into an event all its own. Presented by the Downtown Athletic Club in New York from 1935-2001, damage from the September 11 terrorist attacks forced several moves in location, the Heisman Trophy Trust now honors its recipient, as well as the selected finalists, in the PlayStation Theater in Times Square.

Nationally televised since 1977, ESPN has broadcasted the Heisman Trophy ceremony every year since 1994. The event is usually held at the end of the regular season, either on the first or second Saturday in December, when all contests have been played (with the Army-Navy Game a recent exception) in order for the voters to best evaluate the full body of work of every candidate.

Though spots are limited, in part because the event celebrates all living Heisman winners, who are among those that vote for the award each year, tickets to the Heisman Trophy Gala are typically available to the public. Scoring a seat to an event with the greatest college football players of all-time would certainly qualify as a bucket list item.