College HOF bolting South Bend

After nearly 15 years in South Bend, the College Football Hall of Fame is pulling up stakes and moving to Atlanta, the Atlanta Business Chronicle is reporting.

While the National Football Foundation did not actively seek bids for moving the Hall, there had been discussions with officials from both Atlanta and Dallas in recent years.

A press conference officially announcing the move is expected to take place on Thursday.

A source close to the board said Atlanta was chosen over Dallas because of its civic and business backing and the attractive downtown tourist areas and its many attractions.

Sources familiar with the talks have said Atlanta has been building financial and political support among business interests, seen as key to drawing the college hall to the nexus of SEC and ACC football.

The apparent impetus for the relocation is the disappointing lack of support for the Hall in its current location after moving from the Cincinnati area in 1995. Expected to draw at least 200,000 visitors a year, only 65,000 people on average visited the South Bend version.

(Tip o’ the hat: Dallas Morning News.)