March 25, 2008
The following story appears in the March edition of KnightVision. Produced 10 times per year, KnightVision is the official publication of the UCF Athletics Asssociation. Each issue includes stories about UCF teams, student-athletes and coaches. To order 10 exciting issues from August through June, call 1-888-877-4373 (ext. 121) or 336-768-3400 (ext. 121).
In the past, athletics and university officials who contributed to the growth of UCF's sports programs were recognized in the school's media guides, acknowledged in news articles and talked about by long-time followers of the program. Until this year, these individuals, coaches, athletics officials, staff members and university administrators who rendered outstanding service to UCF's program could not garner the school's top athletics honor.
Despite their work with UCF's intercollegiate programs, they were not eligible for induction into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame. Thanks to a change in the criteria for enshrinement, the hall of fame will now have a new look.
Hall of fame inductees are now selected in three categories: Legendary Knights, Distinguished Letterwinners and Honorary Letterwinners. Legendary Knights and Distinguished Letterwinners cannot be nominated until 10 years after completion of their eligibility at UCF.
Honorary letterwinner status is bestowed on those who provided service to the intercollegiate athletics program through personal time, effort and interest.
As a result of the new criteria, four past administrators will be inducted into the hall of fame on April 11.
At a dinner in the J. Rolfe Davis Recruiting Room at Bright House Networks Stadium, former UCF presidents Dr. Charles Millican, Dr. Trevor Colburn and Dr. Steven Altman and former director of athletics Dr. Jack O'Leary (posthumous) will be awarded honorary letters.
Nine total members will be inducted into the hall of fame at the event. Current members of the UCF Athletics Association administration are pleased that non-student athletes can now be recognized for their contributions to the athletics program.
"Our former criteria for the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame grouped all potential candidates into one large pool. With our updated criteria, we are now able to denote which candidates are being inducted for their prowess during or after their UCF careers, as well as recognize those former administrators who helped in pioneering UCF athletics throughout the program's history," said UCF Director of Athletics Keith R. Tribble.
At the hall of fame ceremony, Darryl Davis (men's basketball), Kelly Kochevar (women's soccer), Chad Mottola (baseball), Ed O'Brien (football) and Darrell Rudd (football) will all be inducted as Legendary Knights. The ceremony is part of the first UCF Athletics Hall of Fame Weekend, which concludes April 13. The weekend includes the inaugural spring football game at Bright House Networks Stadium.
Additionally, the Knights' baseball team will host Memphis for a three-game Conference USA series and the men's and women's tennis and rowing squads will all compete in Orlando during the weekend.
The hall of fame dinner was formerly a stand-along banquet event, last held in the fall of 2006.
Tribble feels that the weekend will serve as a great showcase for UCF athletics, promoting its past, present and future.
"For our fans and alumni, this is will be a special weekend. It will be a weekend in showcasing UCF athletics, past and present, from the hall of fame dinner to the spring football game to our home baseball series and more. Entry into the hall of fame is the single-greatest honor that the UCF Athletics Association can bestow and this weekend really raises the profile of the induction ceremony."
To purchase tickets for the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame dinner, please contact Misty Knight in the Golden Knights Club at (407) 822-1289 or mknight@athletics.ucf.edu.