NEW ORLEANS (January 12, 2023) — Three legends of the Sugar Bowl are among the 22 members of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class that was announced this week by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame. Miami offensive lineman Bryant McKinnnie (Sugar Bowl 2001), Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (Sugar Bowl 2010) and Georgia head coach Mark Richt (Sugar Bowl 2003, 2006, 2008) will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year.
 
The Sugar Bowl in the College Football Hall of Fame
 
Since the establishment of the Sugar Bowl in 1935, the New Orleans classic has featured 153 future members of the College Football Hall of Fame. That number includes 102 players and 52 coaches (Florida legend Steve Spurrier, one of 10 individuals to both play and serve as a head coach in the Sugar Bowl, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach).
 
The 2023 Hall of Fame Class, featuring 18 First Team All-America players and four standout coaches, was selected from the national ballot of 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.
 
The Class will officially be inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner scheduled for December 5 in Las Vegas.
 
BRYANT McKINNIE (University of Miami, Offensive Line, 2000-01)
At 6-foot-8 and more than 350 pounds, Bryant McKinnie overpowered and dominated his opponents, never allowing a single sack during his entire college career and helping the 2001 Miami Hurricanes claim the national title as well as the 2000 Sugar Bowl championship. The Woodbury, N.J., native becomes the ninth Hurricane player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, joining his teammates (and Sugar Bowl alums) Dan Morgan and Ed Reed who have previously been inducted. A unanimous First Team All-American in 2001, McKinnie claimed the 2001 Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in the nation, and he was named the National Player of the Year by CNNSI.com while finishing eighth in 2001 Heisman Trophy voting. The Canes went to 23-1 during his time in Coral Gables, and the team notched back-to-back postseason wins, beating Florida, 37-20, in the 2001 Sugar Bowl and claiming the national title with a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the 2002 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. Miami finished no lower than No. 2 nationally in his two seasons with the Canes, and McKinnie played a key role on an offensive unit that ranked No. 2 in 2000 and No. 3 in 2001 nationally in total offense. In 2001, McKinnie anchored an offensive line that averaged 5.3 yards per rushing attempt and 43.2 points per game on the way to an undefeated season and the national title.

TIM TEBOW (University of Florida, Quarterback, 2006-09)
Ranking among the most decorated athletes in college football history, Tim Tebow played with passion and leadership skills equaled by few, inspiring his Gator teammates to a pair of national championships while becoming the first sophomore in history to win the Heisman Trophy. A consensus First Team All-American in 2007, Tebow claimed the 2007 Heisman Trophy, repeating as a Heisman finalist in 2008 and 2009. Tebow led Florida to two BCS National Championships, earning MVP honors following the 2009 title game, and he set five NCAA records during his career, helping the Gators rank in the top three in the final AP Polls in three of his four years. Florida went 48-7 during Tebow's time in Gainesville, and the Gators became the first FBS team to record back-to-back 13-win seasons (2008-09). Tebow and the Gators dominated third-ranked Cincinnati in the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl as the quarterback completed 31-of-35 passes for a career-best (and Sugar Bowl record) 482 yards and three touchdowns to earn the Miller-Digby Award as the game's Most Outstanding Player. A three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC selection (2007-09), Tebow led the Gators to the SEC title in 2006 and 2008 (MVP of 2008 game) and three SEC East titles (2006, 2008-09). He made the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2006, and he was named the 2007 Roy Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year. He set 14 conference records during his career and his 48-7 career record made him part of the winningest senior class in SEC history.
 
MARK RICHT (Head Coach, University of Georgia, 2001-15; University of Miami, 2016-18) 
During his 18 years as a head coach, Mark Richt established himself as one of the top coaches in the history of college football, winning nearly 72 percent of his games at Georgia and Miami (Fla.) and never failing to make the postseason. The Omaha, Nebraska, native, and Boca Raton (Fla.) High School product, is one of only five coaches in FBS history to record 145 or more wins in their first 15 seasons. Richt headed the Georgia program for 15 years, winning 74 percent of his games, which ranks first all-time among Bulldog coaches, and amassing an overall record of 145-51. His UGA win total is second to only Hall of Fame coach Vince Dooley. He led Georgia to 15 consecutive bowl appearances (10-5), including three Sugar Bowl appearances. He upset his mentor Bobby Bowden and Florida State, 26-13, in the 2003 Sugar Bowl and also rolled to a 41-10 victory over Hawaii in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. While his 2006 Sugar Bowl ended with a defeat, it was one of the most exciting Sugar Bowls of all-time with West Virginia escaping with a 38-35 victory. Richt's Georgia teams appeared 11 times in the Top 25 rankings, including seven Top 10 finishes (No. 3 in 2002, No. 7 in 2003, No. 7 in 2004, No. 10 in 2005, No. 2 in 2007, No. 5 in 2012, No. 9 in 2014). He led Georgia to two SEC titles, including the Bulldogs' first in 20 years in 2002 and then again in 2005.
 
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 102 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. The 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2024. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.2 billion into the local economy in the last decade.