Northwest Wayne News

Earlier this month, the National Football Foundation (NFF) released its 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. This list includes players and coaches from both the Football Bowl Subdivision and the divisional ranks.

Dick Lowry, a former coach inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002, is among 35 coaches from the divisional ranks on this year's ballot. Lowry passed away last fall. According to his NFF biography, "Dick Lowry-Wayne State (MI) (1974-79), Hillsdale (MI) (1980-96)-Won seven conference championships at both schools and earned five births in the NAIA national playoffs winning the National Championship in 1985…He was voted NAIA Coach of the Year in 1982 and was conference Coach of the Year six times."

Lowry's coaching career included significant achievements at Wayne State University from 1974 to 1979, where he compiled a record of 38-21-1. Before joining Wayne State, he served as an offensive coordinator at Akron for three years after working as a high school coach from 1957 to 1970 in Cleveland. During his time at Wayne State, he led the Tartars to several successful seasons including one GLIAC title win in 1975.

After his tenure at Wayne State, Lowry coached at Hillsdale College for 17 seasons from 1980 to 1996. His teams won five GLIAC championships and one Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference title. At Hillsdale, Lowry's squads achieved a .701 winning percentage with notable successes including winning the NAIA National Championship in 1985.

The criteria for coach nomination require that a candidate must have been a head football coach for at least ten years and coached no fewer than one hundred games with a .600 winning percentage.

The NFF has announced names on their ballot under consideration for induction into their College Football Hall of Fame which includes "79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks." The process involves more than "12,000 NFF members" who will cast votes that are then submitted to an Honors Court chaired by Archie Griffin.

NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell remarked on this occasion: "For more than sixty-five years, the NFF College Football Hall of Fame has stood as the sport's ultimate archive...spotlighting individuals who not only excelled on field but also helped define what college football means."

The announcement of those selected for induction will be made early next year with further details forthcoming about their formal induction ceremony scheduled for December eighth during NFF’s Annual Awards Dinner held at Bellagio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

Archie Manning noted: "Each year…the meaningful opportunity [for members]…ensures that those selected represent very best our sport offers…a tradition rooted excellence excited see chosen."

Of historical note within context: since inception over five million individuals played college football; yet less than two-one-hundredths percent (.02%) have been inducted while only forty-nine dual honorees exist across categories like scholar-athlete recognition alongside hall-of-fame status including figures such as Peyton Manning or Tim Tebow amongst others recognized via William V Campbell Trophy achievements too besides being hailed so prominently already once before elsewhere beyond solely sporting realms alone perhaps initially anyway though obviously regardless still duly appreciated nonetheless undoubtedly!