INDIANAPOLIS --- The American Football Coaches Association will participate in hurricane relief by lending its support to the ‘Home Team’ partnership developed by the NCAA and Habit for Humanity® that will assist in rebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast.

As part of its fund-raising effort, the AFCA has partnered with CSTV to host an online auction that will run through December 13th, featuring game-used footballs from the nation’s top collegiate teams and conferences. Each football is autographed by the school’s head football coach. The auction site: http://www.cstv.com/auctions/.

"So many of our member coaches have called to express their desire to help," said AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff. "This project is a kick-off to what we expect to be a continuing collective effort by the AFCA to do our part to help relieve what is a very stressful situation for so many families in the Gulf Coast area."

Among the footballs up for auction:

• A game ball used in Texas’ victory against Ohio State, signed by Longhorns’ head coach Mack Brown.
• A game ball used in Penn State’s come-from-behind-victory against Northwestern, signed by Nittany Lions’ head coach Joe Paterno.
• A game ball used in Florida State’s victory against Miami, signed by Seminoles’ head coach Bobby Bowden.

Also among the contributions is a game ball from Mount Union College’s 600th victory, signed by the nation’s all-time winningest collegiate football coach, Larry Kehres. In 19 years at Mount Union, Kehres has a 91.4 win percentage (226-20-3) and ranks ahead of Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne (88.1 percent).

"CSTV is honored to be working with the American Football Coaches Association to focus attention on the continued efforts for rebuilding in these areas, and to provide college football fans with another way to connect to their favorite teams," said Brian Bedol, CEO, CSTV Networks. "The sports world moved quickly to help schools that were victims of Katrina and other Gulf Coast storms this past year, but the need is ongoing. We trust football fans will love getting these historic items while helping raise funds."

The AFCA will earmark funds raised by the auction to build one house for the Home Team partnership, at a cost of $75,000. The Home Team partnership, unveiled in September, is to raise funds and provide volunteer labor to assist with long-term rebuilding efforts in the hurricane-impacted areas of the Gulf Coast.

"The NCAA appreciates the AFCA’s willingness to partner in this effort," NCAA President Myles Brand said. "NCAA institutions, conferences and student-athletes have already done so much to assist in the relief effort, but there is still much to be done. The effort by the AFCA and CSTV is a unique way for coaches, schools and fans to provide housing for those in need."

"Our coaches are always first in line when it comes to helping support important causes," said Teaff. "We appreciate the opportunity to assist in restoring the infrastructure along the Gulf Coast through our partnership with the NCAA, Habitat for Humanity and CSTV. We hope to do some things in the future that will focus on football families, coaches, players and their schools, but that is still in the planning stages."