1997 in football

American football

 * January 2 – Sugar Bowl (1996 season):
 * The Florida Gators won 52–20 over the Florida State Seminoles to win the national championship
 * January 26 – in Super Bowl XXXI, the Green Bay Packers won 35–21 over the New England Patriots
 * October 18 – Liz Heaston becomes the first woman to both play and score in a college football game