President/CEO Tom Burnett assists in overseeing local organizing committee’s NCAA hosting efforts
A sold-out crowd of over 18,000 attended the 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 8, watching South Dakota State defeat rival North Dakota State, 45-21, for the national title.
FRISCO, Texas – Southwest Sports Partners, LLC, played an instrumental role in directing the local organizing committee’s efforts in serving as host to another successful NCAA Division I (FCS) Football Championship Game at Frisco’s Toyota Stadium on January 8. Southwest Sports’ President/CEO Tom Burnett helped guide the local committee, also known as Team Frisco, in its detailed work on the 13th straight year of hosting the FCS national title game won by South Dakota State over North Dakota State, 45-21.
The game culminated the NCAA’s 24-team postseason playoff season and was played before a sold-out crowd of over 18,000 fans and a national audience on ABC Television.
Burnett, formerly the Southland Conference commissioner who helped attract the game to Frisco in 2010 and build it into an annual sell-out and celebration of the Football Championship Subdivision, served as the host director between the NCAA and local committee, ensuring much of the local efforts were completed as required. Additionally, he helped coordinate the game’s military flyover, an impressive presence by four F-16 fighter jets from the South Dakota Air National Guard.
“It was great to participate in another great FCS national championship game in Frisco,” Burnett said. “A monumental matchup between the Dakota rivals is always special, and the sold-out crowd in fantastic Toyota Stadium on a spectacular weather day just added to an outstanding and memorable event. We have built a terrific local committee over the years, and we again proved how exceptional the Frisco hosting experience has been for FCS football.”
Next year’s NCAA FCS Championship Game returns to Frisco on January 6 or 7, 2024.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST SPORTS PARTNERS, LLC:
Southwest Sports Partners, LLC, is a consulting and events services group focused on the operational needs of sports-related clients and communities. Located in the burgeoning sports capital of Frisco, Texas, Southwest Sports is a relationship-based, turnkey firm uniquely positioned to provide successful administrative assistance and guidance for all levels of sports. Led by former NCAA Division I conference commissioner and recent March Madness chair, Tom Burnett, Southwest Sports is ready to effectively partner with and grow your sports business! Contact us at www.swsportspartners.com.
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