Selection Process | Pro Football Hall of Fame (2024)

FAQs

How are players selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame? ›

Fans may nominate any player, coach or contributor by simply writing via letter or email to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Selection Committee is then polled three times by mail (once in March, once in September, and once in October) to eventually narrow the list to 25 semi-finalists.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of individual accomplishment in the sport. Only 371 players have been enshrined into Canton, although there are 200 others more than worthy of induction. The Hall of Fame is very hard to get into, and getting even more crowded over the last few years.

All appointments are open-ended and approved annually by a majority vote of the Hall of Fame's Board of Trustees. The Selection Committee meets annually shortly before the Super Bowl to elect new members of the Hall of Fame.

The two teams that play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game are typically selected by the league in advance of the remainder of the preseason schedule. The participants are usually announced around the time that the new Hall of Fame members are announced, which coincides with Super Bowl week.

Any fan may nominate any qualified person who has been connected with pro football in any capacity simply by writing to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The only restriction is that a player and coach must have last played or coached at least five seasons before he can be considered.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is an exclusive club for the game's elite players, coaches, executives and contributors. A number of people are inducted every year, with some classes obviously looking stronger than others. Players must be retired for five years to be eligible for induction.

All appointments are open-ended and approved annually by a majority vote of the Hall of Fame's Board of Trustees. The Selection Committee meets annually shortly before the Super Bowl to elect new members of the Hall of Fame.

A screening committee of baseball writers selects the names to appear on each ballot. There were 26 players on the most recent ballot. Just like all Hall of Fame elections, a player must receive a super majority of 75% of the votes from eligible members of the BBWAA to be elected.

Excellence. Simply and obviously, no player will ever be inducted into their respective Hall of Fame if they perform at a mediocre level for the entirety of their career. To be truly exceptional, one must demonstrate their value above and beyond the average expected performance.

Jason Kelce is one of the best centers in NFL history. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman is right up there with Jim Langer, Jim Otto, or Mike Webster, and his name will almost certainly join those legends in the Hall of Fame in 2029.

Do players get a check for being in the Hall of Fame? ›

There's no financial reward for being inducted into the Hall of Fame. And since any player inducted must be retired, he's not making any money as a player any more.

HOF Village LLC, owner of the sports, entertainment and media company surrounding the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, has gone public by combining with a publicly traded, special-purpose acquisition company.

In order to be elected, a Finalist must receive a minimum of 80% of the vote. All ballots are collected and counted by an accounting firm. No vote totals are announced – only the winners of the various reduction ballots are revealed to the Selectors and the Hall's representatives.

Most days, you do not need to purchase museum admission to visit the Hall of Fame Store. However, during Enshrinement Week, guests must purchase admission to enter the Museum in any capacity.

The hall is not officially affiliated with the National Football League (NFL), although, as of 2022, all but one enshrinee participated in the NFL for at least a portion of his career; the single exception being Billy Shaw.