USA TODAY SPORTS ANNOUNCES 2024 US LBM COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES POLL

Poll Ranks Top NCAA Football Teams with the American Football Coaches Association

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY Sports, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) launched the 2024 US LBM Coaches Poll, a weekly poll ranking the Top 25 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football teams from the preseason through the College Football Playoff (CFP). The poll is sponsored by US LBM, a leading, national distributor of specialty building materials to construction professionals.

The US LBM Coaches Poll is voted on by a panel of AFCA-member FBS head coaches who are chosen from a pool of coaches willing to participate. Each coach submits a Top 25 team ranking weekly, with a first place vote worth 25 points, second place worth 24 points, and so on. This year's panel includes 55 coaches from across the country, representing the major conferences and independent schools that will be competing this season. The coaches ranking results are published by USA TODAY Sports online on Sundays and in print on Mondays during the college football season.
Alongside the poll, USA TODAY's Branded Content Studio, GET Creative will launch a new series featuring current college football coaches and drawing parallels between developing football programs and building communities on USATODAY.com.

The preseason US LBM Coaches Poll marks the unofficial start to the college football season, giving fans' insights into where their team is ranked prior to the start of the season. This will be the longest season in college football history with the start of an expanded CFP system that features 12 teams competing in the playoffs. 

"College football is important to our actively engaged sports audience in communities across the USA TODAY Network. USA TODAY Sports is dedicated to highlighting this content with dedicated reporters throughout the country who cover the top nationally ranked teams," said Roxanna Scott, Executive Editor and Vice President for USA TODAY Sports. "We are proud to partner with US LBM and the AFCA to release our weekly poll, which sparks debate and provides expert analysis among loyal college football fans throughout the season."

US LBM will present the US LBM AFCA Coaches' Trophy to the FBS team that wins the CFP national championship game and finishes at the top in the final poll of the season in January. The US LBM AFCA Coaches' Trophy will also be a part of a national trophy tour for the 2024 season, visiting various colleges and universities on game day and interacting with fans.

"Like we do every day at US LBM, college football builds and strengthens communities all across the country," said US LBM President and CEO L.T. Gibson. "We are tremendously excited for another great season of college football and our continued partnership with USA TODAY and the American Football Coaches Association for the weekly US LBM Coaches Poll and the US LBM AFCA Coaches' Trophy."

"The 2024 college football season is right around the corner, and we are excited to see who our coaches have picked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll," said AFCA Executive Director Craig Bohl. "The AFCA is grateful to partner with US LBM and USA TODAY Sports with our weekly Top 25 poll and find out who will win the coveted AFCA Coaches' Trophy at the conclusion of this season."

For more information on the US LBM Coaches Poll, visit the poll website on USA TODAY Sports.

ABOUT GANNETT
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and digitally-focused media and marketing solutions company committed to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions with our Pulitzer Prize-winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Our current portfolio of media assets includes The USA TODAY NETWORK, which includes USA TODAY, and local media organizations in 43 states in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom. We also own digital marketing services companies under the brand LocaliQ, which provide a cloud-based platform of products to enable small and medium-sized businesses to accomplish their marketing goals. In addition, our portfolio includes one of the largest media-owned events businesses in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures.

ABOUT USA TODAY
Since its introduction in 1982, USA TODAY has been a cornerstone of the national media landscape under its recognizable and respected brand. It also serves as the foundation for our newsroom network which allows for content sharing capabilities across our local and national markets. Through USA TODAY, we deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Across our digital platforms we reach an audience of approximately 79 million unique visitors each month.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION
The American Football Coaches Association was founded in 1921 to ensure that every football coach receives the finest professional development, support, and resources available. The AFCA has over 11,000 members and represents coaches at all levels.  AFCA is committed to football coaching education and helping coaches reach and exceed goals for success with the AFCA professional development series, along with industry networking.  Membership provides a forum for coaches to find professional football coaching jobs nationwide.

ABOUT US LBM
US LBM is the largest privately owned, full-line distributor of specialty building materials in the United States. Offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialty products, including windows, doors, millwork, wallboard, roofing, siding, engineered components and cabinetry, US LBM combines the scale and operational advantages of a national platform with a local go-to-market strategy through its national network of locations across the country. For more information, please visit uslbm.com or follow US LBM on LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT
Gannett | USA TODAY Network
Heather Gidaly  
Senior Director, Corporate Communications     [email protected]

SOURCE US LBM