Hall of Fame Criteria

Western New England University Downes Athletics Hall-of-Fame Guidelines

1. Purpose
• To recognize and honor student-athletes, coaches, teams, administrators and other individuals that have made significant contributions to Western New England University in the form of athletic achievement, service, or support of the department.

2. Eligibility
• Candidates should be individuals of high character that demonstrated excellence in athletics, academics, and leadership (the “Western New England Way”).
• Former student-athletes are eligible for induction no less than five years after graduating.
• For teams to be considered, eligibility shall not begin until five years after a championship has been won or another significant accomplishment has occurred.
• All other cases (coaches, administrators, contributors) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• In special circumstances, non-graduated student-athletes may be considered by the committee on an individual basis and must have departed the University in good standing.

3. Nomination Process
• Nominations in writing, detailing a nominee’s accomplishments and relevant information, can be submitted by anyone. All nominations and supporting material should be submitted using the form online or sent to the Sports Information Director, Collin Quinn (collin.quinn@wne.edu). Nomination forms can be found on Western New England athletics website, https://wnegoldenbears.com/information/downes-hall-of-fame/2023_HOF_Form

4. Selection Committee
The Downes Athletics Hall-of-Fame Selection Committee shall consist of:
• Associate Director of Athletics
• Sports Information Director
• Current WNE head coaches (on a rotating basis)
• Representatives from Offices of Alumni Relations and Development
• Other designees of Athletic Department staff as determined by the Athletic Director.

5. Election Process
• The selection committee will meet at least twice yearly to review nominations, select inductees, and formulate plans for the induction ceremony. The induction class will be announced in early summer.

6. Induction Ceremony
• The induction ceremony will be held on a Friday night during the fall semester in conjunction with Homecoming Weekend.

7. Other Information
• The Hall-of-Fame plaques will be housed in the Downes Athletics Hall-of-Fame, which is located on the second floor of the Alumni Healthful Living Center.