LeBron James was in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes play Notre Dame for the College Football Playoff championship Monday night.
ESPN cameras showed James in a suite about 45 minutes before kickoff. He was in town the night before he and the Los Angeles Lakers were to host the Washington Wizards.
James maintains strong ties to his home state of Ohio. He is from Akron and began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper also was on hand. The two-time National League MVP also was here to cheer for the Buckeyes. His wife, Kayla, attended Ohio State.
A couple of running back greats from Ohio State and Notre Dame were introduced on the field before the game. Archie Griffin, the Heisman Trophy winner for the Buckeyes in 1974 and ’75, appeared alongside ex-Notre Dame star and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jerome Bettis.
Also in attendance was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, who is CEO of The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. This was the first time the CFP national championship game was held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and also the first time the game was played on the day of a presidential inauguration.
Hours after delivering a warning against anti-woke rhetoric at a service before King’s former congregation in Atlanta, Bernice King participated in the pregame coin toss.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
LeBron James
Bryce Harper
College Football
Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
