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How do I nominate someone for induction to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame?

• Individuals nominated for Induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame must have by long association and/ or residence in the State of Tennessee made an outstanding contribution to the cause of sports in Tennessee, the nation or the world.
• Male or female participants in any recognized form of sports competition are eligible for nomination.
• All living candidates must have been in retirement from the activity or sport for which they are nominated for at least three years and/or be at least fifty years of age.

Selection of Inductees

The Selection of all Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame inductees and honorees shall be the primary responsibility of the Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee; however, final approval shall be given by the Board of Directors to all honorees and inductees.

At the Fall Board Meeting the President of the Board will select one member from each Grand Division to serve for a period of two years on the Honoree Committee.

Each Grand Division will make its recommendations for honorees to be considered by the honoree committee no later than 1 April each year. The Honoree committee will then recommend to the full board the Honorees to be considered for selection.  The honorees will be confirmed in each category by majority vote of the full board at a special called board meeting. The number of Honorees in each category is regulated by the rules adopted by the full board once approval reached per this memo.

Honorees shall be chosen for sports whose season begins with in the specific calendar year, and ends prior to April the following year. For example all sports that began in 2011, ending with Basketball that has a 2011-12 season. Spring sports would be honored in the next calendar year.

The Board may select a Tennessee Amateur Male Athlete and an Amateur Female Athlete of the Year. In addition to these individuals any amateur athlete that is recognized as the national outstanding athlete in their sport regardless of division or classification will also be recognized as Amateur Athlete of the Year. The board may also recognize up to two additional Amateur Athletes for Special Achievement Awards.

The Board may select one Tennessee Amateur Team of the Year. However, any Amateur Tennessee team having won a National Championship will automatically be recognized as an Amateur Team of the Year. In addition to the Amateur Team of the Year the board can recognize up to two additional teams, for Special Achievement Team Awards. If no teams have accomplishments that warrant either above mentioned category the Board can chose to forgo the category for that calendar year.

The Board may select up to two Tennessee Professional Players one Male and one Female Professional Athletes of the Year.

The Board may select one Professional Team of the Year that has achieved levels of accomplishment worthy of this award. The only exception to having more than one Professional Team of the Year is if Tennessee has two or more Professional Teams that achieved the same level of excellence in their respected sport.

To nominate an individual:

Fill out the nomination form on our website or request one from our Nashville office. Follow the instructions on the form and submit it along with any supporting materials.