ESPN announced the return of the Fan Hall of Fame, an institution dedicated to discovering, elevating and celebrating greatness in sports fandom. The program, currently in its third year, leads a nationwide search and integrated campaign across ESPN’s platforms to honor three of the most remarkable and inspiring sports fans across the country. The three winners will be honored with their names permanently engraved above three stadium chairs on the lawn of ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. campus.
To enter the competition, fans of any sport throughout the United States and Canada* can submit their application at FanHallOfFame.com/Apply until Nov. 16, describing why they deserve a place in the Hall of Fame. Applicants are also encouraged to share their own images on the website and on social media, using the hashtag #FanHallofFame, to support their case.
The ten finalists, selected by a diverse panel of judges, will be announced on Dec. 1. Additionally, ESPN will create video segments of each of the final contestants sharing their unique stories of fandom. The videos will be available on the Fan Hall of Fame website, where voting will take place from Dec. 1 to Dec. 10. Final inductees will be revealed on Dec. 17 and honored at an induction ceremony in 2015.
This year’s judges include:
- Hannah Storm, SportsCenter anchor
- Linda Cohn, SportsCenter anchor
- Mike Golic, Mike and Mike Co-Host
- Kevin Neghandi, SportsCenter anchor
- Bram Weinstein, SportsCenter anchor
- Barbara Rust, “The Sign Lady,” 2013 Fan Hall of Fame Inductee
- Canaan Sandy, 2013 Fan Hall of Fame Inductee
- Pierce Wallace, “The Georgia Joker,” 2013 Fan Hall of Fame Inductee
Last year’s inductees included Sacramento Kings fan Barbara Rust, famously known as “The Sign Lady,” Arkansas Razorbacks’ fan Canaan Sandy, University of Georgia’s “Georgia Joker” Pierce Wallace, and honorary inductee Elizabeth “Lib” Dooley of the Boston Red Sox.
The program’s first inductees were Vancouver Canucks fans and legendary Green Men “Sully” and “Force,” Baltimore Ravens icon “Captain Dee-Fense” and the University of Alabama softball team’s Emily Pitek.
*Excluding Quebec