Hall of Fame Overhauls Selection Rules After Belichick Snub

After Bill Belichick’s snub from the 2026 class, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is overhauling its selection process: the voting body shrinks from 50 to 25 voters plus three non-voting members; finalists drop from 18 players to 13 players plus one coach and one contributor in a single 15-person pool; initial nominations will be presented by someone outside the committee; the definition of contributor expands to a full football résumé; finalists who reach the final seven will not automatically be finalists the following year; the in-person annual meeting returns after six years of virtual sessions. The 2026 class had five players; 2027 first-timers include Ben Roethlisberger, Rob Gronkowski and Adrian Peterson.