Ithaca College Inducts 56th Hall of Fame Class
The Ithaca College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics inducted its 56th Hall of Fame class on October 9, 2026, inside Emerson Suites, honoring eight individuals and one national championship team in front of nearly 250 attendees, athletics.ithaca.edu reported.
The 1991 football team entered the hall following a 12-1 season that ended with a 34-20 victory over Dayton in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. Head coach Jim Butterfield led the squad, which held opponents to 14 points or fewer in eight games. Jeff Wittman rushed for 159 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries during the title game, while Todd Wilkowski threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns to receiver Nick Ismailoff.
Phil Barera, a 2011 graduate and NABC Second Team All-American, joined the class after averaging 16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds over his final two seasons. Nicole Cade, a 2008 graduate, entered as a dual threat who won 68 games in the circle with a 1.61 ERA and batted .312. Tim Faulkner was recognized for a coaching career spanning nearly 30 years, which included 168 wins as men’s tennis coach and assistant football coaching duties across three national titles.
Eli Gobrecht, a 2016 graduate and USILA Defensive Player of the Year, joined the hall alongside wrestlers Marc Israel and Joel Lamson. Sharon Li, a 2015 graduate and 2014 WGCA Division III Player of the Year, entered as the program’s only All-American golfer with a career scoring average of 77.53. Neth Wiedemann rounded out the class as a three-time USILA All-American defender who helped the men’s lacrosse team reach the 2008 national semifinals.
Hall of Fame Selection Process
The 16-member Hall of Fame Committee manages the induction process, accepting formal nominations each year in February and March. The committee convenes in April to review compiled nominations and build a preliminary ballot before finalizing selections in May.
Candidates enter the ballot under two distinct categories based on their graduation timeline. Active members comprise recent graduates past their 10-year mark who remain in that window for 15 years before transitioning to the veteran category after their 25th anniversary of graduation. Teams are also eligible for nomination, with the committee alternating between men’s and women’s programs at its discretion.
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