MONROE — The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame announced the state winners of the 2022-23 NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards, which go to the top academic football teams from each level of play within each state. The 60 teams will now vie as finalists for the NFF Hatchell Cup, presented by “The Original” Bob’s Steak & Chop House, which will be announced Feb. 8 and recognizes the top individual high school football team in the nation for excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community.

“Academic and athletic success go hand-in-hand,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “We are proud to recognize these 60 outstanding high school football teams as the top academic performers in their states. These schools, coaches, players and their families should all be incredibly pleased with their accomplishments, and we look forward to announcing the overall winner of the Hatchell Cup on February 8. We hope by inspiring teams to compete in the classroom with the same competitive spirit that it takes to win on the field, we will better prepare high school football players for success later in life.”

Eligibility requirements for the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards include:

● A minimum cumulative team GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

● Superior academic application and performance.

● Successful football season.

The 60 winners from each division of play were selected by the individual states’ high school coaches associations from a pool of nominees submitted by each school’s head coach. A selection committee, compiled and led by the NFF, will be responsible for choosing one school as the recipient of the Hatchell Cup as the best team in the nation.

“We are extremely proud to participate in this award,” said Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Executive Director Dan Brunner. “We salute the National Football Foundation for recognizing the importance of Academic Achievement by sponsoring the Academic Excellence Awards.”