In a CFP first, Houston artist creates special murals celebrating national championship

A steady stream of children attending the CFP Playoff Fan Central on Friday came up to watch Nicky Davis at his work station and were asking a similar question.

Could we get a turn spray painting?

The Houston artist spent the afternoon working on a CFP-specific spray paint design inside the George R. Brown Convention Center and helping fans get a chance to add some color of their own to the canvas.

The artwork is Davis’ second design celebrating Monday’s championship college football game. His main design was a large mural at 2006 Walker Street in EaDo that is also available for sale on merchandise in the CFP shop.

“We have thousands of people coming in from Seattle, Detroit, all over for this game,” said Zac Emmons, director of marking and communications for the Houston host committee. “To be able to show off we’re not just a football city, we’re not just the rodeo, we’re not just NASA, there’s a vibrant art community as well. For them to see that in practice is really, really cool.”

This is the first time the College Football Playoff has commissioned an artist to create a special design for the national championship, organizers said. 

A reason organizers selected Davis to create the mural in EaDo was because of the bright colors that define his designs. The CFP color scheme is a regal, yet conservative, black and gold. Davis’ colorful creation provides a vivid contrast to usual CFP branding and adds a new fashion element to playoff merchandise.

“I wanted something that was football but still Houston based, something that really got across what we are,” Davis said. “For me, that’s always Space City first.”

He did this by including aliens, UFOs and a spaceship. The main centerpiece is a large astronaut with the 2024 College Football Playoff logo planted across its helmet. But Davis also included references to Slab car culture, like a low-rider, and the city skyline.

Davis has worked on many different types of projects and commissions over the years but he said this was one of the coolest. He added it’s “an honor” to see his design on a T-shirt.

“I’m just blown away,” Davis said. “I love seeing it. I love that I got to do it.”

Merchandise featuring the EaDo mural design is available at the College Football Playoff shop inside the Playoff Fan Central and include a gray T-shirt, a football and a decal. There is also a blank white T-shirt and banner that kids will be able to color in with markers or crayons. Some gear is also available online.

The mural by Davis is not the only artwork coming out of the College Football Playoff. The College Football Playoff Foundation, Good Reason Houston and the 2024 CFP National Championship Host City Committee formed a campaign to benefit teachers called Houston Loves Teachers.

As part of the program, eight murals have been created by artists at schools all over the area. Three more murals will be unveiled this spring.

The final destination for the Playoff Fan Central mural, which is being created on a canvas, has not been decided yet. The Playoff Fan Central is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Davis will be working on it both days.

“We didn’t promote the fact that you can come paint; it’s been organic,” said Daniel Fogel, senior director of marketing at Collegiate Licensing Company. “Essentially it’s turning into another interactive exhibit, which has been great.”