Selection Process
Overview
Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) staff and a panel of college football experts develop a pre-season Watch List of approximately 50 players. During the season, LSC staff and the experts monitor performances and recognize outstanding players on the weekly Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll. Players may be added to the Honor Roll throughout the season based on their performance and versatility.
LSC staff creates and distributes weekly Honor Roll announcements to sports journalists nationwide and sports information directors at all FBS schools. The announcements are also posted on the Paul Hornung Award website
Following Week 10 of the regular season, LSC staff compiles an informational packet featuring players recognized on the Honor Roll and distributes it to the 18-member Paul Hornung Award Selection Committee. Selection Committee members then vote for their top three choices for the Paul Hornung Award finalists. Committee members may select any FBS player who meets the award’s criteria, whether or not the player has appeared on the Honor Roll.
Voting is based on a 5-3-1 point system:
- First place – 5 points
- Second place – 3 points
- Third place – 1 point
Following conference championship weekend in early December, the Selection Committee members vote for their top three choices from the finalist pool, ranking their selections first, second and third. The same 5-3-1 point system is used to determine the Paul Hornung Award winner.
Fan voting counts as the 19th vote in both the finalist and winner selections. The fan vote represents approximately 6 percent of the overall vote and uses the same 5-3-1 point system.
The public accounting firm Jones, Nale & Mattingly tabulates the votes for the finalists and award winner. Selection Committee voting is conducted through a secure online voting application, while fan voting is conducted online. No member of the Louisville Sports Commission board, staff or Paul Hornung Award Advisory Committee participates in the tabulation of votes.
Award Timeline
The essence of the Paul Hornung Award – versatility that enables a player to make an impact at multiple positions or in multiple phases of the game – means that a dynamic group of candidates will emerge as the college football season progresses. Accordingly, the award follows a process designed to evaluate performances throughout the season.
- August 10, 2026 – Official Preseason Watch List announced
- November 8, 2026 – Candidates provided to the Paul Hornung Award Selection Committee following Week 10
- November 12, 2026 – Finalists announced
- December 10, 2026 – Paul Hornung Award winner announced
- March 2027 – Award winner honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award Dinner in Louisville, Ky.
Selection Criteria
To be eligible for the Paul Hornung Award, a candidate must be in good standing and eligible to compete for his team, be eligible under NCAA rules and play significant time during most or all of the season. Decisions regarding student-athlete eligibility for the award are made by the LSC staff and Paul Hornung Award Advisory Committee.
In addition to starting or playing significant snaps on offense or defense, candidates are evaluated on their performance in the following areas:
- Multiple positions: Plays multiple positions on offense and/or defense.
- Special teams impact: Starts or plays significant snaps on offense or defense while also making a significant contribution on special teams.
- Two-way impact: Starts on offense or defense and contributes in a meaningful capacity on the opposite side of the ball.
- Big-game impact: Makes a significant impact in important games through scoring, big plays, productivity or other notable performances.
- Leadership and team impact: Elevates team performance through leadership and excellence while fulfilling multiple roles or responsibilities.
2026 Selection Committee Members
The Paul Hornung Award Selection Committee is comprised of college football experts from around the country:
- Mike Archer, former college, CFL and NFL football coach
- Brandon Boykin, 2011 Paul Hornung Award Winner, NFL player, sports commentator
- Tim Brando, FOX Sports play-by-play announcer; host College Football Today
- Christine Brennan, USA Today national sports columnist; author; commentator ABC News, Fox Sports Radio, ESPN
- Randall Cobb, NFL player, college football studio analyst
- Michael Eaves, ESPN Sports Center anchor, sports journalist
- Katie George, ACC Network
- Sam Madison, Sports radio host; retired NFL All Pro DB & Super Bowl NY Giants
- Mike Pereira, Fox Sports NFL / college football rules analyst
- Michael Rittleman, Director of Scouting and Player Personnel, College Gridiron Showcase
- Holly Rowe, sports commentator, ESPN
- Laura Rutledge, host and reporter, ESPN/SEC Network
- Jeremy Schaap, ESPN anchor / reporter; ABC News correspondent; author
- Brad Sham, sportscaster known as the “Voice of the Dallas Cowboys”
- Phil Simms, CBS Sports analyst; retired NY Giants All-Pro / Super Bowl MVP QB
- Phil Steele, College and professional football sports writer and analyst
- Aaron Taylor, CBS College Sports Network; DL Notre Dame and Green Bay Packers
- Mike Tirico, NBC Sports broadcaster
- Tim Weinkauf, CBS Sports college football studio producer