SMITHFIELD, Va., July 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich®, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and perfectly seasoned deli meats, is continuing its partnership as the Official Smoked Sausage and Deli Meat Sponsor of the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the fourth consecutive year. To bring the excitement to the fans, the beloved smoked sausage and deli brand is returning with its popular Road to the National Championship sweepstakes.

Eckrich will once again host one of the most thrilling moments in college football each week throughout the season, which gives lucky fans around the country a chance to make a 15-yard throw for $1 Million. The million-dollar throws will be held during some of the biggest college football games of the season culminating at the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans, La., airing live on ESPN. Fans can visit www.EckrichFootball.com to enter for a chance to win. Fans will also be able to sample Eckrich at stadiums across the country.

“Our continued partnership with the College Football Playoff helps Eckrich reach millions of college football fans with solutions for homegating or tailgating all season long,” said Elizabeth Di John, director of marketing for Smithfield Foods. “The fans’ enthusiasm is mounting, and we’re looking forward to this season’s contestants of the Eckrich Road to the National Championship sweepstakes as they throw for a million-dollar grand prize each week!”

As the Official Smoked Sausage and Deli Meat sponsor of the College Football Playoff, Eckrich is offering a variety of ways to earn entries into the sweepstakes through their website: www.EckrichFootball.com, including sharing posts on social media, playing “Kirk’s QB Challenge,” completing a quick survey, viewing some homegating and tailgating recipe ideas, and watching videos featuring ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Marty Smith to get pumped up for game day.

“We appreciate Eckrich’s support of college football and the CFP,” said Bill Hancock, College Football Playoff executive director. “The company has become a staple in the sport and we look forward to our fourth year with Eckrich highlighting not only the CFP competition, but also our wonderful foundation, Extra Yard for Teachers.”

For more information about the sweepstakes, and to see a list of participating games, visit www.EckrichFootball.com. For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.Eckrich.com or follow @EckrichMeats on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF SPECIFIC STATES WITHIN THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C.) WHO ARE THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN THEIR STATE OF RESIDENCE AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes ends 12/19/19. For Official Rules, prize descriptions and odds disclosure, visit www.Eckrichfootball.com. The $1,000,000 prize will be awarded as a 40-year annuity for which the winner will receive $25,000 annually for 40 years. Sponsor: Smithfield Packaged Meats Sales Corp., 4225 Naperville Rd., Lisle, IL 60532.

About Eckrich
Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to one of the most recognized regional premium deli and meat brands on the market today. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care, and pride. For more information, visit www.Eckrich.com. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods, Inc.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan’s Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, Farmer John®, Kretschmar®, John Morrell®, Cook’s®, Gwaltney®, Carando®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Healthy Ones®, Morliny®, Krakus®, and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual. This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Saturday, December 28, 2019, at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 13, 2020, at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

About the College Football Playoff Foundation and Extra Yard for Teachers
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the College Football Playoff, supporting education across the country. The CFP Foundation’s primary cause platform, Extra Yard for Teachers, is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development. The CFP Foundation utilizes multiple partnerships to execute its initiatives and support positive educational outcomes. To learn more, visit www.cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.

Media Contact:
Adrienne Taylor
awtaylor@smithfield.com
(757) 357-8520