(Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins Photo)
*The Pro Football Hall of Fame removed Tony Dungy from its selection committee as part of a major overhaul ahead of the Class of 2027 vote.
The New York Post reports that Dungy lost his voting role amid the restructuring. Hall of Famers Bill Polian and James Lofton also lost their spots. The move follows changes the Hall announced Sept. 4 after a review that began more than two years ago. The organization will shrink its Selection Committee from 50 members to 28 for the Class of 2027 election.
Under the Hall’s revised bylaws, 25 committee members will vote while three will participate without voting rights. The Hall will determine those roles annually. The Hall also eliminated its geographically based committee structure. Instead, the panel will feature 27 at-large selectors and one Pro Football Writers of America representative.
The committee will also return to an in-person annual selection meeting after six years of virtual meetings. Players, coaches and contributors will receive consideration during that meeting.
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Dungy joined the selection committee in 2020, four years after his own Hall of Fame induction. His departure follows the controversy surrounding Bill Belichick’s failure to enter the Hall during his first year of eligibility. However, Dungy has never publicly revealed whether he voted for Belichick.
“I’m not going to disclose that,” Dungy said during NBC’s Super Bowl pregame coverage in February. He cited the confidentiality surrounding committee discussions.
The Hall says its overhaul resulted from a comprehensive review involving staff, board members, Hall of Famers and selectors. Hall President and CEO Jim Porter said the changes aim to encourage more extensive discussion about candidates.
Dungy remains a Hall of Famer. He became the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts captured Super Bowl XLI.
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