The Mississippi Sports Foundation, Inc (MSF), the private, non-profit corporation that established and operates the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum, is committed to honoring the best that Mississippi has to offer in the world of athletics regardless of sport, gender, race, school affiliation or geographic area. The MSF assumes full administrative responsibility for the selection process beginning with the 2007 induction class.

Determining who will be inducted in the Museum is a two-tiered process involving a Nominating Phase and a Selection Phase. In 2010, the MSF combined into one meeting, the functions of the previously named Nominating and Selecting Committees and changed the name to the Induction Committee. No current member of the Mississippi Sports Foundation, Inc's board or staff is eligible to serve on the Induction Committee though Museum staff may serve as secretary to the committee.

All deliberations will be treated as confidential and are not the subject of public discussion. Participants will sign a confidentiality pledge prior to the start of the meeting. The announcement of those who have been selected for induction and permanent display will be made solely by the Mississippi Sports Foundation, Inc.

Induction Committee Composition
The Induction Committee will be comprised of representatives from Mississippi’s college & university athletic departments, athletic associations like the Mississippi Golf Association, Mississippi High School Activities Association, Mississippi Association of Coaches and similar organizations. In addition, the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Sports Foundation will appoint three at-large media representatives to the Induction Committee. The President and President-elect of the Jackson Touchdown Club will also serve.

The current number of Induction Committee members is 26. In the event that the Induction Committee does not attain its minimum size (16), the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Sports Foundation, Inc will appoint at-large members who either represent significant athletic interests or who have an extensive knowledge of Mississippi athletics to fulfill its size.

The Nominating Phase will advance a list of eligible nominees in alphabetical order to the Selection Phase. There will never be more than twenty nominees under consideration in the Selection Phase at one time. If, for example, an induction class consists of four honorees then the Nominating Phase will be able to add no more than four additional individuals to replenish the Selection Phase pool to its maximum of twenty for the following year's consideration.

Institutions, associations, universities and the public at large will be free to submit nominees by downloading the official nominating forms from the Museum's website or by requesting the forms from the Museum's office. Only official nominating forms can be submitted. Forms, supporting documentation and photographs in support of nominees may be sent only to the Museum. All submissions must be computer generated or typed and are the property of the Museum and will not be returned.

Only the Nominating Phase of the Induction Committee will determine who is included in the pool of twenty regardless of the source of the nominations. Nominations for the next induction class must be submitted by December 31st of each calendar year. Nominations received after that date will be held for the next induction class. Nominations for eligible individuals will be presented by the Museum to all members of the Induction Committee.

Nominees who have not been selected for induction in the Selection Phase after their third cycle of consideration will be returned to the Nominating Phase for re-consideration.

The Induction Committee will determine by a vote of its attending members if an individual is to be advanced to the Selection Phase for consideration for possible induction. The vote total to advance at each level is approximately 70% of the attending representatives. If 26 members are present, 18 votes will be required. If 24 or 25 are present, 17 votes will be needed; if 23 are present, 16 votes will be needed. If 21-22 are present 15 votes will be needed. If 20 attendees are present, 14 votes will be needed; if 18-19 are present, 13 votes will be needed; if 17 are present, 12 votes will be needed; and, if 16 are present, 11 votes will be needed. A quorum of the 26 voters requires at least 16 of the members attending and no vote can be taken without a quorum.

Proxy voting will not be allowed unless an extraordinary situation exists as determined by the Executive Director. In the event that an extraordinary situation prevents a minimum number of committee members from participating in the process in person, members will be allowed to participate by telephone in order to meet the minimum attendance requirement.

The Selection Phase will select from the maximum twenty person nominating pool an induction class no larger than six individuals to be honored by induction into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Future Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inductees Allyn McKeen (1977) and Shorty McWilliams (1963) take a break during a Mississippi State game circa 1946.