GRIZZLY SPORTS HALL OF FAME MISSION & CRITERIA
Purpose
The purpose of the University of Montana’s Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame (GSHF) is to pay tribute and give lasting recognition to those student-athletes, coaches, and teams who have made exceptional contributions and brought recognition, honor, and distinction to the University of Montana in the field of Intercollegiate Athletics, and who have continued to demonstrate in their lives the values imparted by their experience.
Furthermore, it is the purpose of the GSHF to promote more interest in the University of Montana athletic program among alumni and to display before students in attendance at the University the performance of former student-athletes, coaches, and teams who have contributed so much in making the University of Montana a leader in higher education.
Committee
A. Membership
- Members of the Committee will be appointed by the chairman of the GSHF with the approval of the Director of Athletics, and there will be a minimum of eight (8) members. Permanent members are the current director of athletics, Gary Hughes, Dave Guffey, and the current Sports Information Director.
- Each member of the committee will serve for a period of three (3) years. At the conclusion of the three (3) years, members may elect to be reappointed for a period of three (3) more years.
- The chairperson is appointed by the Athletic Director.
- The GSHF Chairman and the current UM Sports Information Director will always be a voting member of the committee, as will the Director of Athletics. Another member of the UM Athletics staff may be appointed as the liaison between the Athletic department and the committee members. He/she will be responsible for accepting nominations, calling meetings and planning for induction banquets.
B. Nominations
Nominations shall be received by the GSHF chairperson, the director of athletics’ designee or any committee member), no later than April 1st of the current year. All nominations received after that date will not be considered until the following year. GSHF nomination forms are available at the UM Athletics web site GoGriz.com, or by contacting UM Athletics at 406-243-5363. Nominations may also be sent to the Hall of Fame Committee, John Hoyt Athletic Complex, 32 Campus Drive, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812.
C. Meeting Logistics
All meetings will be scheduled as needed through the committee chairman OR the director of athletics, or by his/her designee. The first annual meeting of the GSHF committee will take place sometime in the month of April of each year.
At that first annual meeting, there will be an opportunity for any member of the committee who is interested to tout a respective nominee and talk about the merits of the nominee and why they think they should be selected for induction into the GSHF.
A second meeting can be called if agreed on by committee members for further discussion. Ballots will be sent digitally and votes can be returned digitally or by paper ballot to committee chair.
D. Voting
The final ballot voting will take place annually in the months of April (the nomination deadline is April 1) or May. There are currently (as of July 2021) 9 voting members on the committee.
Each committee member will have 10 votes on the official ballot, with distribution on a 10-(your top vote)-9, 8, 7, etc. total points basis.
For induction into the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame, candidates must receive a minimum of 40 points to be considered for induction. The top 4 (maximum) vote-getters will then be selected for induction.
The Director of Athletics will make the tie-breaking vote, when applicable. All proposed inductees will be presented to UM’s director of athletics who will, in turn, present them to the University of Montana President for final approval.
E. Induction Banquet
When necessary (usually each year in the fall), UM Athletics will have a Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet, preferably held in conjunction with a home football game
F. Athlete/Coach Criteria: To be used in determining the eligibility of the nominee:
- Athletes become eligible for nomination 10 years after their careers at the University of Montana ended.
- Coaches become eligible for nomination immediately after they have retired from, or departed UM in good standing.
- Must have competed/coached a minimum of two (2) years at UM. Athletes must have completed their career(s) at UM.
- Must have had a distinguished athletic or coaching careers. For nominated athletes, individual honors, ie: All-American, first team all-conference selection, recipient of Grizzly Cup Award, etc., are key components for GSHF consideration.
- For coaches, league/regional, national Coach of the Year recognition, as well as team success, career win-loss records, league championships, professional career, and public service, are all relevant accomplishments for election to the GSHF.
- For athletes, academic achievement, although not a required criterion, can be a significant barometer in the nominating process.
G. Team Criteria: The following criteria will be factors in determining the eligibility of a team:
- A team may be nominated for induction based on extraordinary accomplishments, i.e., NCAA Championship, Regional OR Conference Championship.
- National championship teams are automatic selections to the GSHF. The time of induction will be determined by the committee and UM’s director of athletics.
F. Athlete/Teams On Ballot
The following are the rules pertaining to nominated student-athletes, coaches, and the team(s) remaining on the active balloting for possible future induction.
- Individuals and teams will remain on the ballot for a duration of five (5) years after their initial year of nomination.
If student-athletes, coaches or teams do not receive at least one (1) vote on the ballot after that five-year period, they are removed from the ballot for consideration.
PAST NOMINEES MAY BE PLACED BACK ON THE BALLOT: A committee member may re-submit a nominee/team for consideration to be placed back on the ballot.
The proposal for reinstatement will be voted on by current committee members, with a majority vote (which is currently 6-4) required for that individual or team to placed back on the ballot.
