The Ohio Sports Hall of Fame has selected its 2026 class.
Established in 2024, the Hall's mission is to honor Ohio's greatest sports legends. The most recent class contained scores of athletes, coaches and administrators with Cincinnati ties.
The second annual induction banquet will be Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Dayton Convention Center. There will be dinner and a group photo at 5 p.m., with the ceremony running from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase on the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame website.
These are the Greater Cincinnati connections who made it into the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame in 2026:
2026 Ohio Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Administrators
Mike Bobinski: Xavier University, Akron University, Purdue University athletic director
Baseball
Brian Akers: Cincinnati CoBALTS semi-pro baseball
player
Burke Badenhop: Cincinnati Reds pitcher
Keith Becker: Cincinnati CoBALTS semi-pro baseball player
Buddy Bell: Moeller High School player, Cincinnati Reds player and vice president
David Bell: Moeller High School player, Cincinnati Reds manager
Gus Bell: Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds player
Mike Bell: Moeller High School, Cincinnati Reds third baseman
Ian Happ: University of Cincinnati, Chicago Cubs left fielder
Vince Harrison Jr.: Princeton High School and University of Kentucky player, minor league coach
Mike Hatfield: Cincinnati CoBALTS semi-pro baseball
Dummy Hoy: Deaf Cincinnati Reds center fielder
Sandy Koufax: Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers hall of fame pitcher, University of Cincinnati product
Mark Lewis: Cincinnati Reds infielder, Hamilton High School star, coach
Lee May Sr.: Cincinnati Reds first baseman
Lee May Jr.: Minor League Baseball player and Purcell Marian High School grad
Kent Mercker: Cincinnati Reds pitcher
Hal Morris: Cincinnati Reds first baseman
Tim Nichting: Hamilton West Side Little League coach
Wally Post: Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs player
Tom Taylor: Cincinnati CoBALTS semi-pro baseball
Mike Wagner: Cincinnati CoBALTS semi-pro baseball player
Basketball
Trevon Bluiett: Xavier University player
Lenny Brown: Xavier University player
Cheryl Cook: University of Cincinnati player
Jamie Gladden: Xavier University player
Tu Holloway: Xavier University player
Sean Kilpatrick: University of Cincinnati player
Stan Kimbrough: Xavier University player
Steve Logan: University of Cincinnati player
Dave Piontek: Xavier University player
James Posey: Xavier University, NBA player with Cincinnati Royals
Skip Prosser: Xavier University coach
Joe Sunderman: Xavier University player, current voice of Xavier basketball
Steve Thomas: Xavier University player
David West: Xavier University player
Contributors
Dave Kelley: University of Cincinnati professor of Sports Administration
Cross Country
Julie Isphording: Xavier University, Olympian
Ken Meibers: Colerain, Princeton High School coach
Tyrone Olverson: Ohio State, Princeton High School runner
Football
Bron Bacevich: Roger Bacon High School coach
Gerry Faust: Coach of Moeller High School, University of Notre Dame, and University of Akron
Greg Heitkamp: University of Cincinnati
John Shinners: Xavier University, Cincinnati Bengals
Golf
Jason Kokrak: Xavier University, PGA, LIV
Doug Steiner: Xavier University coach
Media
Terence Moore: Miami University grad, former Cincinnati Enquirer writer, current Atlanta-based author and columnist
Officials
Greg Bailes: Umpire from Cincinnati
Rowing
Kelly Salchow: University of Cincinnati, Olympian
Soccer
Annette Gruber: Xavier University
Marla Schuerman: Xavier University
Sports Medicine
Dr. Robert Burger: Xavier University orthopedic surgeon
Dr. Steve Dailey: Miami University team doctor
Team staff
Tracy "Spidey" Hall: Princeton High School equipment manager
Tennis
Jim Brockhoff: Xavier University player and coach
Doug Matthews: Xavier University player and coach
Track & Field
Vicki Albright Travis: Princeton High School runner
Renee Allen Carter: Princeton High School runner
Candace Campbell: Princeton High School runner
Shannon George: Princeton High School, Ohio State runner
Ken Meibers: Princeton High School coach
Tyrone Olverson: Princeton High School, Ohio State runner
Allyson Rogers Khayo: Princeton High School, Ohio State runner
Bill Schnier: University of Cincinnati coach
Tanya Upthegrove Coleman: Princeton High School, University of Nebraska runner
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Sports Hall of Fame 2026 class honors Greater Cincinnati athletes
