On Aug. 8, Little Rock Touchdown Club President and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee David Bazzel revealed the long-awaited lineup of speakers for the upcoming season to an eager crowd gathered at War Memorial Stadium.
As is tradition, Razorback Head Coach Sam Pittman will kick off the 19th edition of the Little Rock Touchdown Club, which is proudly sponsored by AY Media Group, on Aug. 22, followed by a noteworthy gaggle of hall of famers, Heisman Trophy winners and well-respected broadcasters.
“This class has got something for everybody,” Bazzel said.
While the club teased the 2023 group of speakers as the “most awesome lineup ever” leading up to this morning’s announcement, the Little Rock Touchdown Club has had no shortage of star-studded rosters in previous years either. Last year’s guest list included the likes of ESPN’s Marty Smith, famed talk-show host Paul Finebaum and former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron.
This year’s lineup is also historic in that it includes the Touchdown Club’s second and third-ever female speakers, SEC Network’s Alyssa Lang and Laura Rutledge. Also grabbing headlines will be a visit from Peyton Manning scheduled for Sept. 5.
The 2023 schedule and speakers include the following:
- Aug. 22: Sam Pittman
- Aug. 28: Laura Rutledge
- Sept. 5: Peyton Manning
- Sept. 11: Tony Dorsett
- Sept. 18: Hunter Yurachek
- Sept. 25: Peyton Hillis
- Oct. 2: Jim McMahon
- Oct. 9: Butch Jones
- Oct. 16: Jackie Sherrill
- Oct. 23: Nathan Brown
- Oct. 30: Chris Doering
- Nov. 6: Alyssa Lang
- Nov. 13: Ryan McGee
- Nov. 21: David Cutcliffe
- Jan. 12 (Awards Banquet): Kurt Warner OR Reggie Bush
Bazzel also announced the expansion of one of the Touchdown Club’s signature awards, the Cliff Harris Award, which is given to the top small college football player in the nation. This year, the award’s $3,000 trophy will be given to a player from each of Division II, Division III and the NAIA.
“It’s 500 schools that are up for the award, 5,000 players,” Bazzel said. “It’s a bigger step for us, but it grows the award, and we’re really proud of it.”
Nearly two decades after its founding, the Little Rock Touchdown Club has thoroughly cemented its status as one of the nation’s preeminent football clubs. From just 17 members in August 2004, the group’s weekly gatherings in downtown Little Rock’s DoubleTree Hotel now regularly boast more than 500 attendees.
Photo by Ryan Parker
Serving as both the Arkansas chapter for the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame, the club also hosts an annual awards banquet recognizing a Most Valuable Player from every Arkansas college football team. Other awards include a Coach and Player of the Year from every high school classification, along with a National Collegiate Player of the Year, SEC Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year.
The Little Rock Touchdown Club will meet at the DoubleTree Hotel at 424 W. Markham St. in Little Rock. Membership dues start at $90. Lunch is served at 11 a.m., with each program beginning at 11:50 a.m. To learn more or join, visit www.LRTouchdown.com.
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