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Two
college football legends will be honored during next year’s Rose Bowl
celebrations in Pasadena
Published on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
4:28 am
The Tournament of Roses announced that
former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and former Oklahoma head coach Bob
Stoops will join the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame as the Class of 2025 in Pasadena.
Their induction celebrates their remarkable achievements and deep contributions
to college football’s legacy and the famed Rose Bowl Game.
“The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to
pay tribute to individuals who have contributed to the history and excitement
of the Rose Bowl Game, and those who embody the highest level of passion,
strength, tradition, and honor associated with The Granddaddy of Them All,”
officials said in a statement.
Ball graduated
from Wisconsin as the NCAA’s all-time leader in touchdowns scored and stands
out as the only player to rush for 100 yards in three different Rose Bowl
Games. He led the Badgers to consecutive appearances in 2011, 2012 and 2013—132
yards against TCU, 164 against Oregon and 100 against Stanford. Ball was
drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and
played two NFL seasons. He was inducted both into the Wisconsin Athletics Hall
of Fame in 2023 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
Stoops retired in
2017 as Oklahoma’s all-time winningest coach and is the first head coach to
claim a national championship and all four BCS bowl victories, including the
Sooners’ 2003 Rose Bowl win over Washington State. He was a defensive back and
team captain for Iowa during the 1982 Rose Bowl, which saw Iowa lose to
Washington. As a coach, Stoops was twice named national coach of the year and
six times Big 12 coach of the year, leading Oklahoma to 10 Big 12 titles and 18
consecutive bowl appearances; his College Football Hall of Fame induction
came in 2021.
The new inductees will be celebrated at the 137th Rose
Parade presented by Honda, honored during the College Football Playoff
Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential on January 1, and
recognized with an official plaque at the Court of Champions at Rose Bowl
Stadium. A private ceremony for inductees will take place on December 30. Since
its 1989 founding, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame has
inducted 148 members.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer
organization hosting America’s New Year Celebration, with 935 members
contributing over 80,000 annual volunteer hours.
Visit www.tournamentofroses.com
