April 30, 2026
Three Ferris State championship teams selected for Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame
Three of the most historic teams in Ferris State University athletics history will 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 2018 men's basketball squad, which was the university’s first NCAA Division II National Championship team.
Also selected for induction are the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Frozen Four squad and the 1987 Volleyball team that reached the NCAA DII Final Four.
"We're thrilled to welcome back these three historic teams this fall for the Hall of Fame Banquet and to honor them," Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank said. "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."
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 Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame member group that 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 University from Massachusetts, 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. game.
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 the university, or a singular contribution to the Athletics program, and nominees must have demonstrated good citizenship and conducted exemplary professional and 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.
The 2026 Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame team inductees are:
2018 men's basketball team
The Bulldogs captured the school's first NCAA Division II National Championship during a 2017-18 season under National Coach of the Year Andy Bronkema. Ferris State finished the magical campaign with a 38-1 record, matching the all-time NCAA DII record for victories in a season. Ferris State advanced to the DII Elite Eight and beat Northern State University 71-69 in the national title game, capping a year which also included winning the GLIAC Regular Season and Tournament championships along with the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Championship before a sellout crowd 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.
2012 hockey team
The 2012 hockey team advanced to the NCAA Division I Frozen Four for the first time, finishing as the runner-up in Tampa Bay. The Bulldogs' most impressive season 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 our marked the first time any Bulldog team had ever competed in a national championship game. The Bulldogs had a nation-leading 15-game unbeaten streak during the year and vaulted to No. 1 in the national rankings during February. All-America captains Chad Billins, a Hall of Fame inductee, and Taylor Nelson helped lead a veteran team during the campaign.
1987 volleyball team
Ferris State put together an incredible season in 1987 on the volleyball floor, posting a 40-9 record under head coach Jill Hirschinger that 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 University and North Dakota State University before falling to University of Nebraska-Omaha in five sets in the national semifinals. The 1987 campaign marked the first time in which Ferris State had won a volleyball regional championship. Hall of Famers 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.
The Sept. 3 event will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by a welcome and dinner starting at 6:45 p.m.
Team members from the three squads are asked to RSVP as soon as possible at this link.