Jeremy Foley to be inducted into Florida Sports Hall of Fame
Thursday, September 22, 2016 | General
TAMPA, FL -- Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley is one of five distinguished honorees who will make up the 2016 class elected to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
Other members of the class include Johnny Damon (baseball), Phil Esposito (hockey), Jon Gruden (football coach) and Allison Jolly (sailing).
"This has to be the dream class for the Tampa Bay area and for the state of Florida," said Florida Sports Hall of Fame President Barry Smith. "Has there ever been a group that has accomplished so much in their athletic endeavors and yet succeeded in so many ways outside of that? It would be hard to imagine."
Foley, who has handled virtually every aspect of the University of Florida's $119.3 million athletic program during his athletic administrative career - which began with an internship in the Gator Ticket Office in 1976 – will retire as AD on October 1, 2016. He has served as UF's Director of Athletics since March of 1992.
Florida has been equally successful on the field of play and in the classroom during Foley's administrative tenure. The Florida athletic program has ranked among the nation's top 10 for 33-straight years (1983-84 – 2015-16) and among the top five for 18 of the last 25 years, according to national all-sport rankings. Florida was among the nation's top five schools in each of the last eight years, including three straight runner-up finishes from 2011-12 – 2013-14. Florida was the first school to win the Capital One Cup in both the men's and the women's competition since the Cup was introduced in the 2010-11 season.
Foley is the only athletic director in Division I history to supervise a program that has won multiple national titles in football (1996, 2006, 2008) and men's basketball (2006, 2007). Overall, 27 UF teams have been crowned national champions under his watch.
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame is in its 56th year and has enshrined 243 of the brightest and best sports celebrities, each having brought great honor and distinction to the state. The organization's charitable mission is the fight against childhood obesity and support for youth coping with juvenile diabetes.
Also, being recognized at the enshrinement celebration is the 2016 Fame for Fitness honoree, former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Sam Fuld. Fuld's T1D Sports Camp, in conjunction with USF Health's Diabetes Center, brings together hundreds of youth who are coping with juvenile Type 1 Diabetes. Held each February at the University of South Florida, camp attendees learn to manage their Diabetes while competing in sports. Fuld, himself, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 10, but has gone on to a 10-year major league career. He currently plays for the Oakland Athletics.
Founded in 1961 by the Florida Sportswriters and Florida Sportscasters Associations, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 243 members. Eligibility for the Hall is gained by achieving athletic greatness as a Florida native or by making a significant contribution to a sport or related profession while residing in the state.
This year's class will be officially inducted into the Hall at an Enshrinement Dinner on November 15th at the TPepins Hospitality Center in Tampa. The Enshrinement activities will also include the Wade Boggs Florida Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic on the morning of Nov. 15th at Tampa Palms Golf Club. For sponsorship and participation information visit www.flasportshof.org.
Other members of the class include Johnny Damon (baseball), Phil Esposito (hockey), Jon Gruden (football coach) and Allison Jolly (sailing).
"This has to be the dream class for the Tampa Bay area and for the state of Florida," said Florida Sports Hall of Fame President Barry Smith. "Has there ever been a group that has accomplished so much in their athletic endeavors and yet succeeded in so many ways outside of that? It would be hard to imagine."
Foley, who has handled virtually every aspect of the University of Florida's $119.3 million athletic program during his athletic administrative career - which began with an internship in the Gator Ticket Office in 1976 – will retire as AD on October 1, 2016. He has served as UF's Director of Athletics since March of 1992.
Florida has been equally successful on the field of play and in the classroom during Foley's administrative tenure. The Florida athletic program has ranked among the nation's top 10 for 33-straight years (1983-84 – 2015-16) and among the top five for 18 of the last 25 years, according to national all-sport rankings. Florida was among the nation's top five schools in each of the last eight years, including three straight runner-up finishes from 2011-12 – 2013-14. Florida was the first school to win the Capital One Cup in both the men's and the women's competition since the Cup was introduced in the 2010-11 season.
Foley is the only athletic director in Division I history to supervise a program that has won multiple national titles in football (1996, 2006, 2008) and men's basketball (2006, 2007). Overall, 27 UF teams have been crowned national champions under his watch.
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame is in its 56th year and has enshrined 243 of the brightest and best sports celebrities, each having brought great honor and distinction to the state. The organization's charitable mission is the fight against childhood obesity and support for youth coping with juvenile diabetes.
Also, being recognized at the enshrinement celebration is the 2016 Fame for Fitness honoree, former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Sam Fuld. Fuld's T1D Sports Camp, in conjunction with USF Health's Diabetes Center, brings together hundreds of youth who are coping with juvenile Type 1 Diabetes. Held each February at the University of South Florida, camp attendees learn to manage their Diabetes while competing in sports. Fuld, himself, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 10, but has gone on to a 10-year major league career. He currently plays for the Oakland Athletics.
Founded in 1961 by the Florida Sportswriters and Florida Sportscasters Associations, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 243 members. Eligibility for the Hall is gained by achieving athletic greatness as a Florida native or by making a significant contribution to a sport or related profession while residing in the state.
This year's class will be officially inducted into the Hall at an Enshrinement Dinner on November 15th at the TPepins Hospitality Center in Tampa. The Enshrinement activities will also include the Wade Boggs Florida Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic on the morning of Nov. 15th at Tampa Palms Golf Club. For sponsorship and participation information visit www.flasportshof.org.
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