The 92nd Heisman Trophy Presentation is held on Saturday 12 December 2026 in New York City, broadcast live on ABC. College football’s most prestigious individual award is presented each December to the most outstanding player in the sport, as selected by a vote of media members, former Heisman winners and the fan vote. The 2026 ceremony follows the regular season, conference championship weekend and the announcement of Heisman finalists earlier in December.
What is the Heisman Trophy?
The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in United States college football. Administered by the Heisman Trophy Trust and the Downtown Athletic Club of New York in its modern form, the award is determined by a vote of nearly 900 college football writers and broadcasters across six regional districts, alongside a block of votes from the 57 living former Heisman winners and a single fan vote aggregated via ESPN.com. Each voter ranks their top three candidates on a 3-2-1 point system, with the player accumulating the highest total declared the winner.
The Heisman has been presented every year since 1935 and is widely recognised as the highest individual honour in American football. Winners typically come from marquee offensive positions: quarterbacks dominate the modern roll of honour, with running backs, wide receivers and occasional two-way players filling out the history. The trophy itself depicts a running back in a stiff-arm pose and is designed to evoke the idealised college football athlete of the early 20th century.
How the ceremony works
The Heisman voting process begins when ballots are distributed in late November and closes on the Monday following conference championship weekend. Three to five finalists, determined by early vote tallies, are invited to attend the in-person ceremony in New York City. The finalists attend a week of media obligations, receptions and the Heisman Dinner before appearing on stage together at the ceremony. The winner is revealed live on ABC during the primetime broadcast, with the presentation made by a former Heisman winner or a senior Heisman Trust trustee. The full district-by-district vote totals are released publicly after the ceremony.
When is the Heisman Trophy Presentation?
The 2026 Heisman Trophy Presentation takes place on Saturday 12 December 2026, with the live broadcast window scheduled for primetime on ABC. Finalists are announced earlier in the week following Championship Saturday on 5 December 2026. The exact start time of the ceremony and the full finalist list are confirmed by the Heisman Trophy Trust in the first week of December.
Where is the Heisman Trophy Presentation held?
The ceremony is staged in New York City, traditionally at venues including the PlayStation Theater in Times Square, the Marriott Marquis and the New York Hilton Midtown. The award’s spiritual home is the former Downtown Athletic Club building at 19 West Street in Lower Manhattan, which housed the ceremony for decades until the club’s closure in 2002. The Heisman Trophy Trust continues to run the ceremony from New York each year, with the venue occasionally varying based on broadcast and production requirements.
Key Contenders
The 2026 Heisman race features the leading offensive stars of the 2026 college football season. Quarterbacks typically dominate the early betting markets, though elite running backs and occasional two-way players feature on most shortlists. Preseason favourites for 2026 include the top returning quarterbacks from Texas, Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State, alongside emerging transfer-portal stars at Miami, LSU and Arkansas. The final field of Heisman finalists typically includes two to four players, with recent ceremonies frequently hosting three or four invited finalists at the New York event.
How to Watch
The Heisman Trophy Presentation is broadcast live in the United States on ABC, with streaming via ESPN+, ESPN.com and the ABC app. The 2025 ceremony was the first to air on ABC after previous runs on ESPN, with the Disney-ESPN broadcast window now the tentpole primetime slot. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sky Sports carries the ceremony as part of its college football package. International viewers can access the broadcast via ESPN Player in Europe, ESPN international feeds in Latin America and Asia, and the ABC international distribution partners in select territories. Armed Forces Network delivers the ceremony to United States service personnel worldwide.
History and Records
The Heisman Trophy was first presented in 1935 to halfback Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago. It was renamed the following year in honour of John Heisman, the legendary coach and first athletic director of the Downtown Athletic Club, who died in 1936. Archie Griffin of Ohio State is the only player to have won the Heisman Trophy twice, claiming the award in 1974 and 1975. Notable recent winners include Travis Hunter of Colorado (2024), Jayden Daniels of LSU (2023), Caleb Williams of USC (2022), Bryce Young of Alabama (2021), Joe Burrow of LSU (2019) and Kyler Murray of Oklahoma (2018). Quarterbacks have won more than two-thirds of Heismans awarded this century.
Tickets and Attendance
The Heisman Trophy Presentation is primarily an invitation-only event, with attendance limited to finalists, their families, former Heisman winners, the Heisman Trophy Trust voting members and invited media. Public tickets are not made available through the normal channels. The Heisman Dinner held earlier in the ceremony week is a black-tie fundraiser benefiting the Heisman Trophy Trust and associated charities, with tables and individual seats sold at premium price points through the Trust’s official hospitality programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2026 Heisman Trophy Presentation?
Saturday 12 December 2026, broadcast live in primetime on ABC.
Where is the Heisman Trophy Presentation held?
In New York City, at a venue confirmed by the Heisman Trophy Trust in early December.
How can I watch the Heisman Trophy ceremony?
ABC and ESPN+ in the United States, Sky Sports in the UK, and ESPN Player internationally.
Who won the most recent Heisman Trophy?
Travis Hunter of Colorado won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first primary two-way player to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997.