Three Historic Championship Teams Selected For Bulldog Athletics Hall Of Fame Induction This Fall

Big Rapids, Mich. - Three of the most historic teams in Ferris State University athletics history have been chosen to be inducted into the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame Class this fall.

The Bulldogs will induct three teams on Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Ewigleben Sports Complex in the Class of 2026, including the school's first NCAA Division II National Championship team in the 2018 men's basketball squad. Also slated to be inducted are the Bulldogs' 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Frozen Four squad and the 1987 Bulldog Volleyball team that reached the NCAA D2 Final Four.

"We're thrilled to welcome back these three historic teams this fall for the Hall of Fame Banquet and to honor them," said FSU Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank. "These three teams all achieved outstanding success and left a historic mark on Ferris State University. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and having them back on campus."

The Sept. 3 event will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. (ET) followed by a welcome and dinner starting at 6:45 p.m. (ET). The program and induction ceremony will follow.

Team members from the three squads are asked to RSVP as soon as possible at this link: https://igfn.us/form/8KZXRQ

Specific details for the general public regarding the Hall of Fame Banquet along with ticket and sponsorship opportunities will be announced in the near future.

A 10-member Selection Committee comprised of faculty, staff, alumni and community members selected the 2026 inductees. The three teams will become the newest members of a current Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame member group that presently includes 125 individual inductees along with one previous inducted team, the 1968 unbeaten football squad.

This year's Hall of Fame event will take place the night prior to the Bulldogs' 2026 football home opener against Bentley (Mass.), which takes place on Friday, Sept. 4, at Top Taggart Field. The hall of fame teams will also be recognized at halftime of the 6 p.m. (ET) tilt on Friday evening.

The Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame, which inducted its Charter Class in 2000, was established to honor those student-athletes, coaches and teams who have distinguished themselves in their sport or honorary members who made truly exceptional contributions to athletics.

Those who are inducted must first meet the following nomination criteria - Individual nominees must be departed from Ferris State University for at least 10 years; Nominees must have earned at least one varsity letter and must have distinguished themselves by exemplary performance in the field of athletics; Secondary consideration is given for the performance of meritorious service in behalf of Ferris State Athletics after leaving FSU, or a singular contribution to FSU's Athletics program, and Nominees must have demonstrated good citizenship and conducted exemplary professional/occupational careers which reflect credit on the individual and Ferris State University. Teams are honored based on their accomplishments and mark left on Bulldog Athletics.

The Bulldogs inducted a 10-member class of individuals in the fall of 2025 and will hold a team induction ceremony this fall. The Hall of Fame Committee plans to alternate individual and team inductions by year for at least the forseeable future, going back to an individual induction class in 2027.

Following are thumbnail sketches of the 2026 Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame team inductees:

2018 Men's Basketball Team - The Bulldogs captured the school's first NCAA Division II National Championship during a historic 2017-18 season under National Coach of the Year Andy Bronkema. FSU finished the magical campaign with a 38-1 overall record, matching the all-time NCAA D2 record for victories in a season. Ferris State advanced to the D2 Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D., and beat Northern State 71-69 in the national title game, capping an outstanding year which also included winning the GLIAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships along with the NCAA D2 Midwest Regional Championship before a sellout crowd on FSU's home floor at Jim Wink Arena. The Bulldogs' Zach Hankins was the National Player of the Year and the team was led by a standout senior class, including senior starters Drew Cushingberry, Noah King and Peter Firlik in addition to Hankins.

2012 Men's Ice Hockey Team - Ferris State made history in 2012 as the Bulldog men's ice hockey team advanced to the NCAA Division I Frozen Four for the first time in school history, eventually finishing as the national runner-up in Tampa Bay. The Bulldogs' most impressive season in school history included a 26-12-5 overall record under National Coach of the Year Bob Daniels along with the school's second-ever CCHA Regular Season Championship and the program's first NCAA Division I Regional Championship. The title game appearance at the Frozen Four marked the first time any Bulldog team had ever competed in a national championship game. The Bulldogs had an impressive nation-leading 15-game unbeaten streak during the year and vaulted to number one in the national rankings during the month of February. All-America captains Chad Billins, a FSU Hall of Fame inductee, and Taylor Nelson helped lead a veteran team during the historic campaign.

1987 Volleyball Team - Ferris State put together an incredible season in 1987 on the volleyball floor, posting a 40-9 overall record under head coach Jill Hirschinger that eventually concluded with an appearance in the NCAA Division II National Semifinals. The Bulldogs went 15-1 to claim the GLIAC Championship and made their sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Ferris State won the regional championship at home in Big Rapids with back-to-back wins over Wayne State and North Dakota State before falling to Nebraska-Omaha in five sets in the national semifinals in Omaha, Neb. The 1987 campaign marked the first time in which Ferris State had won a volleyball regional championship. FSU Hall of Fame and All-America standouts Patty Theis and Wendy McCann both claimed All-America honors while Janna Biggs joined the duo on both the All-Region and All-GLIAC squads.