TCNJ ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME BYLAWS
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026

Major Changes

• Nominations will no longer be accepted for athletes, teams or head coaches - those categories must meet the criteria below for automatic Hall of Fame eligibility. Nominations remain for assistant coaches, administrators, and contributors
• National champion teams and individuals will receive automatic induction into the Hall of Fame

Candidacy for Athletes

• 10 years since date of final competition
•  Automatic ballot eligibility for any TCNJ student-athlete who earned:
  • At least one (1) All-America honor (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd team or Honorable Mention) and/or
  • One (1) conference (NJAC or otherwise) Player of the Year (or equivalent) and/or
    • Because wrestling does not compete in a conference, a Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Regional Championship will serve as the equivalent of a conference Player of the Year award
  • At least two (2) years of conference (NJAC or otherwise) First Team selections

Automatic Induction

• Individual National Champions: The first induction ceremony 10 years following graduation

Candidacy for Teams of Distinction

• Automatic ballot eligibility for any TCNJ team that earned:
  • An appearance in the national semifinals (Final Four) or the College World Series (baseball/softball), or a top-10 national finish for individual sports with a team-scoring component (cross country, swimming, track and field, wrestling)

Automatic Induction

• Team National Champions: The first induction ceremony 10 years following championship season – includes relay teams

• 2 years since retirement as Coach/Admin/Contributor or 25 years of consecutive employment at TCNJ or immediate candidacy upon turning 70 years old (active or retired)
• Automatic ballot eligibility for any TCNJ head coach who has reached the Candidacy requirement and has earned:
  • At least one (1) team national (NCAA or otherwise) championship and/or
  • At least three (3) individual national (NCAA or otherwise) championships and/or
  • At least one (1) national coach of the year honor and/or
  • At least five (5) conference (NJAC or otherwise) coach of the year awards (or equivalent)

• Nominations accepted for each induction cycle
• Maximum of one winner per induction cycle; does not have to be awarded in each cycle
• 2 years since retirement as Admin/Contributor/Assistant Coach or 25 years of consecutive employment at TCNJ or immediate candidacy upon turning 70 years old (active or retired)

*All prospective Hall of Fame inductees must have continued to be a citizen in good standing with the College and must not have caused unfavorable publicity for the College and community

Nominations

• Nominations will be solicited for every induction ceremony for administrators, contributors and assistant coaches who meet the above requirements. Nominations are valid for one (1) Hall of Fame cycle.

Individuals (Student-Athletes, Head Coaches)

• The 10 members of the TCNJ Hall of Fame Voting Committee will each select 20 candidates. The top 20 candidates will be named Semifinalists for the Hall of Fame Class.
   
• From that list of 20 Semifinalists, the 10 members will each select 10 candidates. The top 10 candidates will be named Finalists for the Hall of Fame Class.
   
• From that list of 10 Finalists, the 10 members will each select 5 candidates. The top 5 candidates will be named the Inductees for the Hall of Fame Class.

Teams of Distinction

•  Will follow the same procedure as individuals but with the following sizes: 8 Semifinalists, 3 Finalists, 1 Inductee

Ballot Eligibility

• Automatic candidacy areas (Student-Athlete, Head Coaches, Teams of Distinction) remain on the ballot for 15 Hall of Fame cycles (30 years)
• Any Student-Athletes who would have automatic eligibility who graduated in 1996 or before will be granted 5 Hall of Fame cycles (10 years) of eligibility