IRVING, Texas (June 2, 2025) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today the names on the 2026 Ballot under consideration for induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, including 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks.

Former Northwest Missouri State University football star Tony Miles is again featured on the ballot under the Divisional Player Candidate Capsule Bios.

Miles was a two-time first-team All-American who led the Bearcats to back-to-back Division II National Championships (1998-99) and four-consecutive MIAA titles. Miles set MIAA and school records for career receiving yards (3,890), receptions (235) and TDs (37). Miles was a three-time first-team all-MIAA selection at WR/KR in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Miles tallied 49 career touchdowns as a Bearcat. Miles returned 104 career punts for 1,490 yards (14.3 avg.) and brought back 59 kickoffs for 1,452 yards (24.6 avg.).

Miles's head coach Mel Tjeerdsma said he was instrumental in turning the Bearcats into a national power.

"Tony was a huge part of our turnaround at Northwest," Tjeerdsma said. "We were 0-11 in 1994 and by the time he was done in 2000, we had captured two national titles in 1998 and 1999. In the 1999 national title game vs. Carson-Newman, Tony scored touchdowns three different ways via pass reception, kick return and rushing. He could hurt you in so many different ways on the field."

2026 DIVISIONAL PLAYER CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS
 
"For more than 65 years, the NFF College Football Hall of Fame has stood as the sport's ultimate archive, honoring those whose impact on the game still echoes today," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "This year's ballot carries forward that responsibility, spotlighting individuals who not only excelled on the field but also helped define what college football means to so many."

The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current NFF Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. (Individuals can cast a vote this year by clicking here to become an NFF member.)

The Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and NFF College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, NFF Hall of Famers and members of the media. Click here for the official criteria and the voting procedures, which govern election to the NFF Hall.
 
"Each year, the NFF Hall of Fame ballot provides our members with the meaningful opportunity to help shape the future of college football's most prestigious honor," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Ole Miss. "Our voters are deeply passionate and knowledgeable, and their involvement ensures that those selected represent the very best our sport has to offer. It's a tradition rooted in excellence, and we are excited to see who will be chosen for the 2026 Class."

The announcement of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2026, with specific details to be announced in the future.
 
The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, and they will be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2026 season.
 
Of the 5.78 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 1,111 players have earned induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have played the game during the past 155 seasons. From the coaching ranks, 237 individuals have achieved NFF Hall of Fame distinction.
 
There are eight NFF National Scholar-Athletes on the 2026 Ballot, including FBS players Jeff Bregel (USC), Brad Culpepper (1991 Campbell Trophy® recipient from Florida), DeMeco Ryans (Alabama), Manti Te'o (Notre Dame) and Jonathan Vilma (Miami, FL). The divisional NFF National Scholar-Athlete nominees on the 2026 Ballot include Keith Elias (Princeton), Gerald Quinlivan (Buffalo), and Thomas Stenglein (Colgate).
 
The NFF has recognized 938 NFF National Scholar-Athletes since 1959, and only 49 have earned the distinction as both an NFF Hall of Famer and an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, creating arguably one of the most unique and elite groups in all of sports. And of those 49 dual honorees, only Alex Mack (Cal), Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia), Tim Tebow (Florida) and Danny Wuerffel (Florida) have also claimed The William V. Campbell Trophy®.