SR11: SR11 Atlanta Football Host Committee for hosting the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship; commend

This resolution from the Georgia Senate honors the Atlanta Football Host Committee and its partners for organizing the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, making Atlanta the first city to host the event twice, having also hosted in 2018. The resolution recounts the bid process led by the Atlanta Sports Council, the state's financial support through a sales tax exemption on tickets and a $4.75 million appropriation (state funding) for public safety and infrastructure, the volunteers who assisted, a teacher outreach program reaching all 159 counties, and the projected $75 million economic impact on Georgia hospitality businesses. It does not change any law; it directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the Host Committee and other parties.

• Formally commends the Atlanta Football Host Committee for organizing the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta.
• Recognizes Atlanta as the first city to host the College Football Playoff National Championship twice, after also hosting in 2018.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the Host Committee and other involved parties.
• Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia law, impose any requirement, or authorize any new spending.

The resolution directly names the Atlanta Football Host Committee, the Atlanta Sports Council, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with volunteers and teachers across Georgia's 159 counties who took part in related programs.

The resolution carries no legal effect and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic: it publicly recognizes the people and organizations who organized a major sporting event that the text says brought an estimated $75 million economic impact to Georgia's hospitality industry.

• The whereas clauses describe Atlanta's selection in August 2022 and its earlier hosting of the event in 2018.
• The whereas clauses note state support including a sales tax exemption on tickets and a $4.75 million appropriation for public safety and infrastructure costs.
• The whereas clauses reference the Georgia Teachers Initiative, which engaged over 40,000 teachers and funded projects in all 159 counties.
• The resolving clause commends the Atlanta Football Host Committee and welcomes the championship game back to Atlanta.
• The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the Host Committee and other parties.

1. 2025-01-14Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-01-13Senate Hopper (Senate)

• John Albers (R, SD-056)Primary sponsor
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)

• College Football Playoff
• Atlanta sports events
• legislative commendation
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• tourism economy