Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, is all decked up. The stage is set. The vibes are on. This is it—the showdown everyone’s been waiting for: Notre Dame versus the Ohio State Buckeyes in the biggest game of the season. Both teams are gunning for the trophy. Oh! And the ring. The massive, appealing tradition of the NCAA lures players to go beyond their heights and manifest the moment of holding it once in their career. In 2024-25, a new sublime detail is added to the pristine ring.

CFB and ESPN unveiled the exclusive first look of the 2025 college football championship ring

The tradition of giving a ring to the players of a championship college football team dates back to 1872. This custom continues to this day but significantly lowered its cost and standard. But 2025 looked like a dreamy revival of the old Grandiose. The variety of jewels signified college athletes, as well as their coaching staff and other assistants of the winning CFP National Championship team. This year, ESPN and the CFB playoff committee collaborated to come up with a unique, expensive, high-flying giant ring containing all the minute details of the game.

The brand-new upgraded look of the ring is made of a total of 133 stones, all representing every FBS team except the national champion, one diamond denoting the 2025 season champion, 12 distinguished stones marking the top 12 teams, and diamond fillers standing as the crowd representing in the stadium and the home. The 12-team CFP bracket was also the latest addition to the design. The first look of the ring is nothing but fuel to the raging hype ahead of the big, crazy night brewing under the radar.

Riley Leonard concedes he gave a lot of different answers when people asked him why he entered the transfer portal after last season and chose Notre Dame. “But the truth is, I came here to win a national championship and to go to the best team that would give me the best chance to do that,” he said. It’s not the money; it’s the ring, the consummate ring.

But how much does it cost to maintain the glamorous tradition of the college football final?

The college football final ring design and cost

These rings are made with care by Jostens, and the design is the exclusive brainchild of the championship school. The front of the ring proudly displays ‘CFP National’ at the top and ‘Champions’ at the bottom. In the center, you’ll find the iconic College Football Playoff (CFP) logo gleaming in gold. Surrounding it, the words ’12 Teams, 1 Champ’ are engraved, marking the new selection process for the national champion. And let’s not forget—the ESPN brand name is also etched onto the ring.

The universities can experiment with the sides of the ring, with themes. They can be creative here, adding the winning team’s head coach’s surname or their most valuable players’ name, or anything of that sort. It’s a free canvas for them

Coming to the cost, a Super Bowl takes around $35,0oo. Unlike the NFL, it is cheaper. However, in college football, these pieces of jewelry have a metaphoric cost. Their production cost cannot exceed $415 per ring, as this amount stands as the maximum estimate that the NCAA allows a university to spend on its student-athletes.

We will wait and let the time do its magic to see either of the two teams get their hands on the ring.