CANTON, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football and owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio, today announced the kick-off date of the inaugural season of the NFL Alumni Academy, the NFL Alumni Association’s Player Development Program. Starting on September 21^st, the top graded players that were released from NFL training camps will have the opportunity to further develop their skills and realize their potential by training under the tutelage of elite former NFL coaches, players and performance coaches. In conjunction with the NFL season, top talent will reside and train in Canton, working to fulfill their dreams of playing in the NFL.

Created by some of the greatest minds in football, the Academy, which will be located at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, is designed to help players who do not make an NFL team’s final roster achieve their goals of playing professional football. Through this program, the Academy will help meet NFL teams’ demands for talent over the course of a given season. Participants who are invited to attend the Academy will work daily to be “NFL Ready” and return to an NFL team. The Academy’s staff will be in constant communication with all 32 NFL franchises’ front offices to keep them informed on prospects’ progress. Fans will be able to watch players’ development take place live, creating a unique and immersive experience.

“Through this program partnership, we are able to work with the NFL Alumni Association’s Academy to support NFL teams’ player personnel needs while also developing onsite original content centered around America’s most popular sport,” said HOFV President and CEO Michael Crawford. “This initiative creates another avenue to grow and expand our media division and diversify our revenue streams. Moreover, fans benefit from being able to engage with the game in an authentic and memorable way, while partners and sponsors are afforded more opportunities to reach a global audience.”

The Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will initially serve as the NFL Alumni Association’s headquarters as well as the Academy’s headquarters and training facility. The Academy will then move to the Center for Performance, which will be located on the Village’s campus and is anticipated to be completed in 2022. The Center for Performance will feature an 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art indoor field house and training facility, among other amenities.

Prominent former NFL personnel who are involved with the Academy shared their thoughts on the project, saying:

• NFL Alumni Academy Executive Director and former Minnesota Vikings coach Dean Dalton: “Our Academy is designed to provide players with best-in-class coaching, training and professional development so they can step onto any NFL roster and immediately add value.”

• Chargers Ring of Honor Pro Bowl Wide Receiver Wes Chandler: “The NFL is a player’s game. Talented and well-prepared personnel is the fuel that makes football America’s most popular sport.”

• Mike Tice, former Minnesota Vikings Head Coach: “As a former player and coach spending my entire 35-year career in the NFL, I am totally impressed with the absolute first-class plan for the NFL Alumni Academy complex to be located in the Hall of Fame Village on the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

More details about the coaches and players that will be involved in the Academy as well as ways fans can engage will be announced in the near future.

About the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company

The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.

About the NFL Alumni Association

The NFL Alumni Association is a nationwide group of former National Football League players, coaches and other employees whose mission is to serve, assist and inform former players and their families. The association offers a variety of medical, financial and social programs to help members lead healthy, productive and connected lives, as well as community initiatives under the NFL Alumni’s “Caring for Kids” programs. The NFL Alumni Association hosts the Player Development Program each football season at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Jonhson Controls in Canton, Ohio. The Player Development Program provides a pathway for the top graded players that were released from NFL training camps to return to the NFL by giving them the opportunity to further develop their skills and realize their potential by training under the tutelage of elite former NFL coaches, players and performance coaches.