Heisman Trust launches new fan voting platform for college football

The Heisman Trust has launched Heisman Hopefuls, a new digital platform designed to increase fan engagement with the Heisman Trophy. Starting September 9, fans can register to follow over 11,000 players, access official statistics, and view updated EA Sports College Football ratings.

Users can cast one ranked ballot per day, selecting three players. The voting system uses a point structure where first place receives three points, second place two, and third place one. To ensure the results reflect the full season, Carnegie Mellon University’s Sports Analytics Center developed a time-weighted model where votes cast later in the season carry more weight.

The top three finishers from the fan voting will constitute a single official ballot. This result will be announced live on ESPN during conference championship weekend. While this provides a significant new voice for the public, the fan ballot remains only one of 931 total votes, with the remaining 930 votes cast by media members and other electors.