Chat Transcript
CBS SportsLine.com
July 31, 2001

Executive Director of the College Hall of Fame Bernie Kish stopped by to answer all your questions about the upcoming enshrinement weekend and much more.

Kish was named executive director in April 1995. Prior to that, he was the Special Assistant to the Athletics Director and the Director of Ticket Operations at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He served 30 years in the Army and retired from as a Full Colonel.

The 2001 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend is August 10-11 in South Bend, Indiana. The list of inductees include Marcus Allen (USC), Dan Dierdorf (Michigan), John Elway (Stanford), Terry Donahue (UCLA), Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska), Stan Jones (Maryland) and Terry Hoage (Georgia).

Bernie Kish: I would like to thank all the college football fans out there at CBS SportsLine. We are a few weeks away from the start of the season and our Enshrinement ceremony is the 10th and 11th of August so we consider ourselves the official kick off for College Football!

Question: Bernie - How many members are currently in the hall of fame? We have about 850.

Bernie Kish: That is broken down to about over 600 players and 120 coaches. That may seem a lot but since there has been College Football since 1869 and over 4 million men have played the game, we consider this to be an elite group.

Question: Where exactly is the college Football Hall of Fame located?

Bernie Kish: We are located in downtown South Bend Indiana. Across the street from the Marriott Hotel and about 2 miles from the campus of Notre Dame.

Question: What activities are planned for enshrinement weekend?

Bernie Kish: It is a fun filled weekend. It takes 2 days to do everything. We begin on the 10th of August with a mayors breakfast at the Century Center. This is followed by the 4th annual Golf Outing. For the 3rd year in a row it is a sell out. Friday evening is a Gathering on the Gridiron. A festive event on the grounds here. On Saturday is the fan festival. A press conference from 10-12, a Kids Clinic where enshrinees teach kids techniques. That is followed by a flag football game for the enshrinees. Then an autograph session, limited to the first 300 people. Then the big Gala Dinner and Enshrinement on Saturday night!

Question: What is the selection process?

Bernie Kish: Very detailed, in terms of being selected. You have to be a major 1st team All-American, out of college for 10 years and not currently playing pro football. For the coaches, you have to have coached 100 games or more, won at least 60% and have been out of coaching for 3 years. That latter requirement has been waived for some people. The actual voting is done by our over 10,000 members of the National Football Foundation. They are reviewed by the Honors Court, which include Hall of Famers Vince Dooley and Bo Shembechler.

Question: With college players leaving early for the NFL, is there any stipulation on the qualifications for the Hall of Fame as far as inductees have to play four years or graduate?

Bernie Kish: No. As of right now there is none. There was for a while. The business about graduating or pledging to return to graduate is important to the Honors Court. You will find that very few of our enshrinees have not graduated. One that comes to mind is Herschel Walker but he has pledged to return for the 15 remaining hours and get his degree.

Question: Does the college football hall of fame still have the traveling hall of fame? I saw it last year and wondered if that was still going on.

Bernie Kish: Oh yeah! We sure do! This last weekend we were in New Prairie, Indiana and then went to the Colts training camp. We are booked for the fall, starting in Nebraska and touring the country for the next 4 months. We are appreciative that people notice that and we are glad to give everyone a taste of what the real Hall is like back here in South Bend.

Question: I gotta ask cause I love watching highlights of this play, but does the Hall of Fame have the trombone that got damaged in the famous Cal/Stanford game?

Bernie Kish: We sure do! That belonged to a young man, Gary Tirell form the Stanford Band. About a month before we opened here, he called and asked if we would want this for our display. It is in our rivalries section under the Big Game and is one of our most prized possessions.

Question: What has been the highlight of your career with the College Hall of Fame thus far?

Bernie Kish: I think there are two. Getting to meet the Hall of Famers every year and staying in touch with them to have them come back to be speakers and such. Secondly is the coaches I have met in College Football. As I go to games and as teams come here, they visit. You are always in awe at the great men who coach the youth of America.

Question: You're an ex-military man! Why is the Army-Navy rivalry not as popular as it used to be? Any ideas?

Bernie Kish: I think that is the wrong choice of terms. The stadium is still filled for every game. While it is no longer teams from the top 10 or top 20 as in the 40s and 50s, it is still special. If you ask Beano Cook he will say it is as pure as college football can be. It is played by men who give their all for the team and then later for their country. It is still important even though it is not being played for the supremacy of East Coast football.

Question: If you had to pick one display area of the Hall of Fame as your favorite, which would it be?

Bernie Kish: There are a couple things I will say.. The one area that gets to me emotionally is in our coaches locker room. There is a video with coach Robinson and McKay. it could be a primer for executives or anyone you are trying to teach leadership to. I like our Display of the Decades. Like the 1920s we have a Red Grange game worn jersey that he wore in his junior year.

Bernie Kish: In the 1970s we have the Joe Montana soup bowl. We change things often and Kent Stephens does a wonderful job with these displays.

Question: Obviously players and coaches are eligible for the Hall of Fame, are there any other categories or jobs that a person can have to be inducted for their contributions to the sport?

Bernie Kish: We don't induct anyone else per se. We do have an award from the National Football Foundation for Top official, the John Toner award for top Athletic Director. We give the Gold Medal in New York, our highest award. These are people who in some fashion have given a lot to the game of College Football and their photos and information are on display here.

Question: Will your museum be open during the Enshrinement weekend?

Bernie Kish: Yes. We have a few times when we close early. On Saturday evening we will close at 5 because the U of Michigan has a private party. But we will be open early on both Friday and Saturday so people can come in early if they like.