NEW YORK - eTradeWire -- The United States Athletics Hall of Fame (USAHOF) is expanding its national effort to recognize members of its foundational classes and is planning its first physical location, with an opening expected in 2027. The planned facility would extend the Hall's work beyond its online platform.

The leadership and selection committee includes Ken Crippen, founder of the Football Learning Academy and a former member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee, and Upton Bell, former general manager of the New England Patriots. Other members include seven-time NFL Pro Bowl selection Richmond Webb, Chicago sports historian and author Jack Silverstein, sports author and Pro Football Research Association associate Mike Richman, and Raiders fan ambassador and entrepreneur Wayne Mabry.

The committee also includes five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair, sports author and Jim Thorpe legacy holder Anita Thorpe, former professional athlete and investor Gill Florentino, and sports Hall of Fame advocate Ron Katz. Members bring experience in athletic competition, team management, sports law, historical research, and Hall of Fame selection.

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Founded in 2023 by Kirk Buchner and Evan Nolan, USAHOF recognizes athletes, coaches, contributors, and commentators across professional, Olympic, collegiate, and individual sports. Public voting is part of the selection process.

"The fans who remember these performances, follow these careers, and pass these stories down should have a voice in who is recognized," said Evan Nolan, president and co-founder of USAHOF. "That public involvement is central to what we are building. As we work toward our first physical location, we want to create more opportunities for people to discover these legacies and connect with the history they share."

"American sports history is often told one league or one sport at a time," said Kirk Buchner, chairman and co-founder of USAHOF. "We created this Hall to bring those stories together."

The foundational classes include basketball honorees Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, football honorees Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, and baseball honorees Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt. Olympic honorees include Blair, Carl Lewis, Florence Griffith Joyner, and Kristi Yamaguchi. The Hall lists the full classes and individual profiles on its Honorees page (https://www.theusahof.com/current-inductees).

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The Hall is coordinating recognition in phases, beginning with outreach to honorees and their representatives to arrange award deliveries and offer opportunities to share acceptance statements.

The Hall has yet to announce a site or opening details for the planned facility. Meanwhile, public voting for the Hall's 2026 class is open across four categories: athletes, coaches, contributors, and commentators. This is the first year commentators have appeared as a separate category on the ballot. The 2026 online ballot (https://www.theusahof.com/voting) is available on the Hall's website.