Pictured: Mike McDorman, President & CEO, Greater Springfield Partnership, along with OBHOF President and 2010 Inductee Jeanne Arnzen Gulick, 2006 Charter Inductee & Board Member Bill Hosket, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, Charter Inductee and OSU Women's Basketball Assistant Coach Katie Smith, 2014 Inductee & Wittenberg Athletic Director Brian Agler, and 2013 Inductee and University of Dayton's Women's Basketball Coach Tamika Williams Jeter.
After more than two decades in Columbus, the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony has a new home.
The Hall of Fame is proud to announce that its annual Induction Ceremony will move to Springfield, beginning in 2027 — a historic homecoming for an organization that celebrates the state's deepest basketball roots. The move ends a 21-year run in Columbus and begins an exciting new chapter in a city long known as a "cradle of basketball" in the Midwest.
Why Springfield?
Springfield's basketball pedigree speaks for itself. From the legendary success of the Wittenberg University Tigers to the storied high school programs that have produced NBA legends and championship banners, the city has earned its place in hoops history. Bringing the Induction Ceremony to Springfield connects the Hall of Fame to the heart of Ohio's basketball heritage.
"This is a monumental shift for our organization," said Jeanne Arnzen Gulick, Board President of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. "While Columbus has been a wonderful home for us since our founding, Springfield's passion for the game and its commitment to preserving sports history make it the perfect place for our next chapter. We are thrilled to partner with the Greater Springfield Partnership to bring this signature event to such a basketball-centric community."
A Special Announcement Ceremony
To mark this transition, the Hall of Fame and the Greater Springfield Partnership hosted a Special Announcement Ceremony on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Historic 1929 Fieldhouse on the Wittenberg University campus in Springfield.
The event brought together local leaders, Hall of Fame board members, and past inductees for a formal signing of the agreement to bring the ceremony to Springfield. The 1929 Fieldhouse — which recently underwent an extensive renovation and served as the epicenter of Wittenberg basketball for over 50 years — provided a fitting backdrop for the announcement.
"Springfield is a basketball town through and through," said Mike McDorman, President & CEO of the Greater Springfield Partnership. "Hosting the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is a testament to our city's revitalization and our enduring legacy in the sport. We look forward to welcoming the state's basketball elite to our downtown and showing them the hospitality that Springfield is known for."
Looking Ahead to 2027
Further details regarding the 2027 Induction Ceremony venue and ticket information will be released in the coming months. Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for updates as we get closer to this exciting milestone.
We are grateful to everyone who joined us on June 30 to celebrate this next chapter for the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame — and for basketball in Ohio.
