The Heisman Trophy will be presented on Jan. 5 on ESPN in a virtual format, it was announced Saturday.
The ceremony was pushed from December into January as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The voting deadline is now Dec. 21, and the finalists will be announced Dec. 24 during a 30-minute special at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Chris Fowler will host the one-hour Heisman Trophy ceremony on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m., ET, originating from ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut. Tom Rinaldi and Maria Taylor will join Fowler, while ESPN analysts and former Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard (1991) and Tim Tebow (2007) will also contribute remotely.
All Heisman finalists will appear via satellite from either their homes or schools. Several past Heisman Trophy winners also will appear virtually.
“Although college football may look and feel a lot different, there is no shortage of incredible talent on the gridiron this year,” Mike Comerford, president of the Heisman Trophy Trust, said in a statement. “One thing the pandemic cannot change is the spirit of a true winner and we are eager to again celebrate that winner on the annual Heisman Trophy Ceremony.”
In addition to revealing the new Heisman date, ESPN and The Heisman Trust also announced a new multiyear agreement for the network to remain the home of the Heisman ceremony.