Western Carolina University

Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame Constitution (in PDF form)

Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame Nomination Forms

(Updated May, 2025)

ARTICLE I:  NAME
Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
ARTICLE II:  PURPOSE
The purpose of the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor those persons whose outstanding contributions have enriched the athletic programs of Western Carolina University and to provide an enduring memorial and preserve for posterity the memories of those persons whose endeavors brought distinction to the University.
 
ARTICLE III:  NOMINATION AND SELECTION
Section A:  Nominations shall be accepted from the general public to the Western Carolina University Hall of Fame Committee through a standard nomination form. Nominations submitted after the annual published deadline will be tabled until the following year. Nominees shall remain eligible for five (5) years and, if not elected in that period of time, must be re-nominated for further consideration. 
 
Section B:  Nomination forms can be found online at CatamountSports.com, or a formal letter can be forwarded to Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame.  Support materials, such as statistics, records, and newspaper articles are desired, as is other pertinent information. Questions regarding the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame may be directed to athleticshalloffame@email.wcu.edu.
 
Section C:  The Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame shall accept nominations no later than one month prior to the annual Hall of Fame selection meeting. Records and pertinent induction information will be communicated to the committee members no later than two weeks prior to the annual selection meeting.
 
Section D:  Selection to the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame shall be made annually by the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee. A majority vote shall determine the selection of an inductee.
 
Section E:  The Hall of Fame Executive Committee (see Article V, Section D) will meet to review and approve Western Carolina University Hall of Fame nominees to ensure that all nominees have met the induction criteria.  After nominees have been approved, the names will be forwarded to the Western Carolina University Hall of Fame Committee to conduct the voting process.
 
ARTICLE IV:  CRITERIA FOR INDUCTION
All statistical verification will come from the Western Carolina Office of Athletics Media Relations and be vetted by the WCU Hall of Fame Executive Committee to ensure nominees meet the minimum requirements herein.
 
Section A:  Athletic

1. Individual: A student-athlete must have competed two (2) full seasons in one sport or one (1) full season in two or more sports and have attended WCU for a minimum of two (2) years.
   1. To be considered, student-athlete alumni must have made outstanding athletic contributions to their program(s) and must have earned at least one of the accomplishments below:
      • All-American
      • All-conference, All-state, All-region, All-district
      • Conference Player of the Year
      • Individual conference champion
      • Led the nation in a recognized statistical category
      • National Player of the Year
      • Olympic athlete
      • University, conference and/or world record setting performances
      • * Professional sports careers may also be considered
   2. Must be out of school for a minimum of five (5) years
      • A posthumous nominee can be exempt from the five-year rule.
   3. The student-athlete must have left the university in good academic standing.
   4. The student-athlete must have demonstrated good citizenship, both in college and after leaving the university.

2. Team

• Conference championship
• National ranking or recognition
• Competed for a national title
• Team honors and/or comparable achievements/standards of previous Hall of Fame inducted teams
• Members of the team must have served as positive ambassadors for the university
• A team shall be formally inducted when ALL its members have satisfied the individual five (5) year waiting requirement set forth above.

3. Coach and/or Administrator
   1. The coach and/or administrator must have served at WCU for at least five years and have retired or been separated from Western Carolina for at least five (5) years prior to being inducted.
   2. The coach and/or administrator must have left the university in good standing.

Section B: Honorary

1. Honorary induction into the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame is given to an individual who has earned the highest degree of respect, reputation, and distinction. Nominees must have documented evidence of significant contributions to Western Carolina Athletics and/or the athletics industry or accomplished other professional achievements.

 ARTICLE V:  COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Section A:  Members of the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee volunteer their time.  The committee will consist of a minimum of fifteen (15) members; twelve (12) members will vote for Hall of Fame and Honorary Inductee nominations. 
 
Section B:  Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame membership will consist of the following:

1. Western Carolina Director of Athletics (non-voting)
2. Western Carolina Senior Woman Administrator / Hall of Fame Liaison / Treasurer (non-voting)
3. Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame Coordinator (non-voting)
4. Director of Athletic Media Relations/Hall of Fame Executive Committee Secretary
5. Director of Western Carolina Alumni Engagement
6. Faculty Athletics Representative
7. "W" Club Lifetime Member
8. Western Carolina Athletics Community Relations Designee
9. Catamount Club Board of Directors representative
10. Hall of Fame Inductee 1969 and before
11. Hall of Fame Inductee 1970 – 1979
12. Hall of Fame Inductee 1980 – 1989
13. Hall of Fame Inductee Athlete 1990 – 1999
14. Hall of Fame Inductee 2000 – 2009
15. Hall of Fame Inductee 2010 – present

Section C:  The terms of the committee members are as follows:

• Western Carolina Athletics Staff – As long as employed
• Faculty Athletics Representative – As long as holds office
• Director of Western Carolina Alumni Affairs – As long as employed
• Hall of Fame Coordinator – Five (5) year term, with the option to be renewed
• Western Carolina Community Relations Designee – Five (5) year term, with the option to be renewed
• Hall of Fame Inductees – Three (3) year term, with the option to be renewed
• "W" Club Lifetime Member – Three (3) year term, with the option to be renewed
• Catamount Club Board of Directors representative – Two (2) year term, with the option to be renewed

Section D: An Executive Committee will be established out of the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee to handle all administrative tasks and to evaluate and nominate the Hall of Fame inductees and "W" Club Lifetime Member to sit on the Hall of Fame Committee as voting members. The Hall of Fame Executive Committee will consist of five (5) individuals: Athletics Hall of Fame Coordinator; Athletics Department Hall of Fame Liaison (SWA)/Hall of Fame Treasurer; Western Carolina Director of Athletics Media Relations/Hall of Fame Secretary; Western Carolina Athletics Community Relations Designee, WCU Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR).
 
Section E: There are two mandated meetings: a business meeting and a selection meeting. However, the committee may meet as often as is necessary.  All meetings shall be conducted per Robert's Rules of Order.
 
ARTICLE VI:  HALL OF FAME CLASS VOTING PROCESS
Section A:  Hall of Fame
A sealed ballot vote will take place during the spring Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee meeting.  Committee members with voting privileges may have up to 10 votes in the first round.  The top ten (10) vote-getters will move to the second round.  In the second-round voting members will vote on their top three (3) nominees. The three nominees receiving a minimum of 66% (two-thirds) of the votes will receive induction invitations for the upcoming Hall of Fame class. In the event a voting member is unable to attend the annual selection meeting, votes via absentee ballot may be submitted to the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame Coordinator prior to the meeting.
 
Section B:  Honorary Inductees
A sealed ballot vote will take place during the spring Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee meeting for Honorary Inductees.  Committee members with voting privileges may have up to three (3) votes in the first round.  The top three (3) vote-getters will move to the second round.  In the second-round voting members will vote on their top nominee only.  Nominees receiving a minimum of 66% (two-thirds) of the votes will receive induction invitations for the upcoming Hall of Fame class. If a voting member is unable to attend the annual selection meeting, votes via absentee ballot may be submitted to the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame Coordinator prior to the meeting.
 
ARTICLE VII:  THE HALL OF FAME CEREMONY & LOCATION
Section A:  The WCU Athletic Department, in conjunction with the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, will host a Hall of Fame ceremony annually.
 
Section B:  Western Carolina's Athletics Hall of Fame is a location where the greatest are gathered, remembered and celebrated, and where their place in history is established.  The Western Carolina University Department of Athletics and the Ramsey Regional Activity Center shall maintain a public display of all members of the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame in an appropriate place of honor as determined by the Director of Athletics and the Ramsey Regional Activity Center, in collaboration with the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee.
 
ARTICLE VIII:  MARKETING & PUBLICITY OF THE HALL OF FAME
Publicity of the induction of those selected shall be provided by the Western Carolina Office of Athletics Media Relations, in collaboration with the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame committee. A complete listing of the nominees, including name, sport, and years of association at WCU, should be published online at CatamountSports.com before the Hall of Fame voting meeting.
 
ARTICLE IX:  CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW
The Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, in consultation with the Western Carolina Athletic Department, can review and amend the Athletics Hall of Fame Constitution annually.
 

AMENDMENT NOTES:
- Constitution ratified by the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame committee on June 21, 2014;
- Corrections proposed in April 9, 2016 meeting and included above from January 18, 2017 meeting;
- Revisions proposed at the July 21, 2017 Executive Committee meeting; reviewed at the HOF Committee Meeting on Oct. 14, 2017 and ratified;
- Revisions sent to the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Committee in August 2019 and September 4, 2019;
- Corrections proposed in the June 29, 2021 Executive Committee meeting – to be reviewed by the Hall of Fame Committee Meeting in the virtual HOF Committee Meeting in late July 2021
- Revisions to the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee – proposed and approved June 2023
- Proposed edits to Article VIII – presented and approved at HOF meeting in Fall 2024
- Additional edits were made on the University position titles within the committee makeup (May, 2025)