Wheeling University Athletic Department Accepting Nominations for 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame

October 15, 2025

Wheeling University Athletic Department Accepting Nominations for 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame

Wheeling, W. Va. October 15 - The Wheeling University Athletic Department is accepting nominations for the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Former Cardinal athletes, coaches, special contributors, and teams can be nominated by filling out the Wheeling Athletic Hall of Fame Nomination Form. Nominations will be accepted through December 31. All nominations will be reviewed and voted on by the Hall of Fame Committee.

Established in 1997, the mission of the Wheeling University Athletic Hall of Fame is to honor outstanding achievements and contributions by individuals and teams to the athletic program and to promote athletic leadership and personal excellence at Wheeling University. There are five different categories of nomination, with individuals being able to be inducted as athletes, coaches, special contributors, and lifetime Achievement honorees, with the final category honoring teams with outstanding athletic achievement.

The Hall of Fame was designed to create an awareness of the rich athletic traditions at the university, while also heightening the interest and image of the athletics program and the university.

A Wheeling University athlete becomes eligible 10 years after their athletic eligibility has been exhausted. The athlete must have had exceptions athletic performance in one or more Wheeling University athletic programs over at least two seasons, and the candidate must have also displayed good moral character and citizenship during their undergraduate and post-graduation years.

A coach becomes eligible five years after leaving the university and their teams must have made outstanding contributions to athletics at Wheeling University. Along with their coaching success, the candidate must be of outstanding character that exemplifies the athletics program and the university, with active coaches not eligible for nomination, except in special circumstances.

Nominations for special contributors go to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to athletics at Wheeling University over a significant number of years. Nominees for this distinction can go to faculty, staff, administrators, or friends of the athletic program who have made their mark on athletics while being of outstanding character.

The lifetime achievement nomination goes out to individuals who have made outstanding athletic, professional, or civic accomplishments after leaving Wheeling University. The contributions must be of significant importance over a period of years, while the nominee must display solid moral character.

The final nomination category recognizes teams that have made significant contributions to the program's history. The team award was first established during the 2024 class of the Wheeling Athletics Hall of Fame, and honors teams that have made significant contributions to their respective programs' history. Teams are eligible 10 years after the achievement and must have noteworthy accomplishments both collectively as a team and by its individual players.

Following the nomination process, the Wheeling University Hall of Fame Committee will hold three separate meetings to vote on nominees for the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The board is comprised of at least five members, including the Athletic Director, Assistant Athletic Director of Communications, Senior Woman Administrator, and other administration positions across campus. Inductees for the 2026 class of the Wheeling Athletic Hall of Fame will be chosen based on a majority vote.

The Class of 2026 inductees will then be announced in the spring of 2026, with the formal induction ceremony being held during Homecoming & Family Weekend in the fall of 2026.