College Football Awards Release Schedule: Everything You Need to Know

College football award season has begun.

The Heisman Trophy is seen ahead of the ceremony. / Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Some of the biggest individual awards in college football will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 12 during a show hosted by ESPN.

The ESPN show will present 23 of the top awards given to stars in college football this season. However, the sport's most coveted award, the Heisman Trophy, will have its own ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 14 to present the honor to this year's winner.

Take a look at the full schedule for the award announcements.

Overview of College Football Awards Season

The 2024 regular season is officially over after the conference championships ended over the weekend, meaning it's now bowl season and College Football Playoff time. Before those kick off, though, the NCAA will hand out around 30 awards for this season.

The Heisman Trophy is seen as the most prestigious and major award given each college football season. The iconic trophy is given to the most outstanding player from that season.

Some of the other big awards include the Maxwell Award (Outstanding Player), Chuck Bednarik Award (Best Defensive Player), Biletnikoff Award (Best Receiver), the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, to name a few.

College Football Awards Announcement Schedule

ESPN's College Football Award show on Thursday, Dec. 12 will broadcast 23 of the 30 college football awards given out, which are all listed below, including the Maxwell Award and Home Depot Coach of the Year. The show starts at 9 p.m. ET and runs through 11 p.m. ET.

The Heisman Trophy will have its own ceremony and ESPN broadcast on Saturday, Dec. 14 starting at 8 p.m. ET.

A few of the 2024 awards have already been announced. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is given to the best senior or upperclassman quarterback. South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard won the Bronko Nagurski Award, an award for the best defensive player voted on by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Colorado's Travis Hunter won the Lott IMPACT Trophy for the top defensive player. Hunter also took home the Paul Hornung Award for the most versatile player.

The other awards not included during the ESPN show include the Lombardi Award and the Ted Hendricks Award. The Lombardi Award is given to the nation's best offensive or defensive lineman and the winner will be announced during its own ceremony on Dec. 11. The Ted Hendricks Award given to the Defensive End of the Year will be announced Dec. 16.

Additionally, the Eddie Robinson Award given to the FCS Coach of the Year will be announced on Dec. 18.

Here's a full schedule of the release dates of the college football awards.

Award	Date
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award	Nov. 29
Bronko Nagurski Award	Dec. 9
Lott IMPACT Trophy	Dec. 9
Paul Hornung Award	Dec. 11
Lombardi Award	Dec. 11
Maxwell Award	Dec. 12
Chuck Bednarik Award	Dec. 12
Home Depot Award	Dec. 12
Biletnikoff Award	Dec. 12
Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award	Dec. 12
Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award	Dec. 12
Ray Guy Award	Dec. 12
Outland Trophy	Dec. 12
Paycom Jim Thorpe Award	Dec. 12
Doak Walker Award	Dec. 12
Buddy Teevens Award	Dec. 12
NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award	Dec. 12
Disney Spirit Award	Dec. 12
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team	Dec. 12
William V. Campbell Trophy	Dec. 12
John Mackey Award	Dec. 12
Rimington Trophy	Dec. 12
Walter Camp All-America Team & Player of the Year	Dec. 12
Wuerffel Trophy	Dec. 12
Frank Broyles Award	Dec. 12
Burlsworth Trophy	Dec. 12
Dick Butkus Award	Dec. 12
Heisman Trophy	Dec. 14
Ted Hendricks Award	Dec. 16
Eddie Robinson Award	Dec. 18

Who Are the Finalists for Major College Football Awards in 2024?

The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists are Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty and Miami QB Cam Ward. Three of those players—Gabriel, Hunter and Jeanty—are also the favorites to win the Maxwell Award.

Hunter, who has already won two awards, is also favorited for the Chuck Bednarik Award alongside Penn State's Abdul Carter and Ohio State's Caleb Downs and for the Biletnikoff Award alongside Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan and San Jose State's Nick Nash.

Gabriel and Ward are finalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, who has already won a quarterback award this season.

Heisman finalist Jeanty is also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award for top running back alongside North Crarolina's Omarion Hampton and Iowa's Kaleb Johnson.

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