Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives. As such, it is important to us that the University of Minnesota will be inducting eight new members into their Athletic Hall of Fame.

They will be inducted on September 6.

The newest members are:

Nicole Chimko-Fahey, Women’s Track & Field, 1996-99:  The Canadian was a three-time All-Big Ten champion in discus and javelin and was a two-time All-American.

Eric Decker, Football & Baseball, 2006-09: Decker was a two-time All-Big Ten Selection as a Wide Receiver and accumulated 3,119 Yards and 24 Touchdowns.  He would later play professionally and was on Denver’s 2013 AFC Championship Team.  Decker was also drafted twice in the Major League Baseball Draft.

Tori Dixon, Women’s Volleyball, 2010-13:  Dixon was a two-time AVCA All-American and three-time All-Big Ten Selection.  She had 1,479 career kills for the Golden Gophers.

Laurie Kaiser Sund, Women’s Gymnastics, 1983-86:  Kaiser Sund was a three-time All-Big Ten Selection and won the Big Ten Floor Exercise in 1984 and 1986 and the Vault in 1984.

Amanda Kessel, Women’s Hockey, 2010-13 & 2016:  Kessel led Minnesota to three straight National Championships (2011-13) and was a two-time All-American.  She also won the WCHA Player of the Year, the WCHA Rookie of the Year, and the 2013 Patty Kazmaier Award.  She also represented the United States in three Olympic Games, winning two Gold Medals, and owns four World Championship Gold Medals.

Don Lucia, Men’s Hockey Coach, 1999-2018:  Lucia guided the Golden Gophers to five Frozen Fours, winning two National Championships (2022 & 2003).  He also led the school to four WCHA Regular Season Titles, four Big Ten Titles and had an overall record of 457-248-73.

Harsh Mankad, Men’s Tennis, 2000-02:  From India, Mankad was the first player in school history to obtain a number one NCAA rank.  He was the 2002 Big Ten Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Big Ten Selection.

Joel Maturi, Athletics Director, 2002-12:  Maturi became the first AD in school history to oversee both the Men’s and Women’s programs.  Over his tenure, the Golden Gophers won five National Titles and 45 Big Ten/WCHA Championships.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the University of Minnesota Athletic Hall of Fame.

From the University of Minnesota, Rick Upchurch came to the Denver Broncos in 1975, and like many Wide Receivers, he was used as a returner as a rookie.  This was the role in which he was he would primarily be used in his first four seasons.  In that time span, he was a Pro Bowler and a First Team All-Pro Selection twice and was regarded as the premier Punt Returner in the NFL.

Are there enough Green Bay Packers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

The New England Patriots would have a lot of talent come wear their uniform, but only one of them would have the nickname of "Mr. Patriot."