The College Football Hall of Fame, which never managed to attract the number of visitors its organizers hoped for after moving it to South Bend in 1995, is being moved to Atlanta to bring it more exposure, organizers told the city.
The National Football Foundation notified the city of South Bend in a letter Tuesday that it is terminating its agreement with the city when its current lease ends on Dec. 31, 2010.
"We take this action not because of any failure on your part, but because we have an opportunity to take the exposure of the Hall of Fame to an entirely new level," wrote Archie Manning, chairman of the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame.
The hall moved to South Bend from Kings Mills, Ohio, in 1995 to take advantage of its proximity to Notre Dame. Supporters predicted it would attract more than 150,000 visitors a year, but it drew about 115,000 people the first year and about 60,000 annually after that.
South Bend will work with the football foundation to work out a transition plan. The facility in Atlanta probably won't be ready until 2012.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey, that's great news! Now people in Atlanta who want to see what REAL college football teams are made of can visit the HOF instead of going to watch the Techies! Just kidding! Being able to see the aquarium, the Coke museum, and now the Hall of Fame (I've heard it's going to be down in the same area of town), will be a great getaway!
Awesome news for GA!