Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement dates move to October

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A change in plans is underway for one of the biggest events in basketball - enshrinement weekend in downtown Springfield. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has rescheduled this year’s ceremony.

The enshrinement ceremony has been moved from August to October 12th and 13th this year. We got a chance to talk to Hall of Fame President and CEO John Doleva about why the change is occurring.

He told us, “When we picked this date a year ago, we couldn’t imagine how much impact and growth there would be on the Olympic side of things, and where the weekend after, the resources just can’t get to Springfield and provide the kind of event that we are known for and that we want to provide for our Hall of Famers and our guests.”

Welcoming new inductees to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has always drawn huge crowds to Springfield, as the top names in the sport gather together in celebration.

Doleva told us that anyone who has already purchased a ticket for the August event but can no longer make it, will be refunded.

“So, our policy will be that we are going to take care of any customer that gets to us and says ‘we can’t make it,’ right now we have about 150 ticket orders, we’re reaching out to each one of those individuals, they typically are friends or associates with the class members,” he claimed.

This announcement comes as the Hall of Fame hosts the Women’s Olympic 3v3 tournament, with fans coming out to see some big names in women’s basketball like Hailey Van Lith.

Spectator Bob Mancini told us, “I found out that they had the 3v3 tournament, so I said, ‘let me check it out,’ didn’t realize the roster, the talent they had that was here. You got girls who play from LSU, different countries from Canada, all over the U.S., Germany, stuff like that.”

The tournament ended today with the women’s team coming up short, losing 20-18 in the finals against Canada.

For more information about this year’s enshrinement weekend - now October 12th and 13th - and this year’s inductees and you can click HERE: https://www.hoophall.com/events/enshrinement-2024/

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