Michigan football's National Championship trophy: Where to see it in person
After tiresome travels across the U.S. for marquee games and public events, the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy's season-long tour has come to an end — within the University of Michigan Wolverines' adoring embrace.
When Michigan football won the NCAA National Championship on Monday evening, the shining gilded trophy immediately became the pride and joy of the team and Michigan fans across the world.
Fans are invited to see the trophy in person and take pictures while it's displayed at three different Ann Arbor area stores this week:
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11 at Meijer located at 3825 Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti
4-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11 at Walmart located at 45555 Michigan Ave. in Canton
4-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12 at M-Den located at 303 State St. in Ann Arbor
As said on the College Football Playoff website, the trophy is "the ultimate goal of college football teams across the United States."
Standing just over 3 feet high and weighing nearly 65 pounds in total, the trophy consists of 24.5-inch-tall 24k gold brackets that wrap around a stainless-steel core atop a separate 12-inch-tall bronze base with a hand-rubbed black patina finish.
As for the design, created by Pentagram, a focused football lies in the base, and as it ascends the trophy, it expands until it reaches the size of an actual football. At the top of the trophy, the gold brackets are cut at a steep angle to reveal the football design.
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Following the 2013-2014 season, when the Bowl Championship Series — which had been used since 1998 — was replaced by the new College Football Playoff system, a new trophy was commissioned by the CFP for their new playoff era, additionally replacing the Waterford crystal football "Coaches' Trophy."
But unlike the NHL's Stanley Cup, the trophy isn't passed from winning team to winning team; instead, a new trophy is commissioned by the College Football Playoff each year for the winning team.
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It takes about three months for each trophy to be made, as expert craftsmen from master fine arts foundry UAP Polich Tallix handcraft the art using cutting edge technology, along with timeless metal casting and finishing techniques.
While the old crystal football trophy was estimated to be $30,000, the price of the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy is currently undisclosed.
But the achievement that it stands for is priceless.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football National Championship trophy: Where to see it
