Virginia’s top athletes, coaches and sports leaders will be celebrated in the spring as the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame unveiled its Class of 2026. The 53rd induction ceremony is set for April 25 at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump. 

The class features former NFL quarterback Michael Vick of Newport News, one of the most electrifying players of his era. Vick led Virginia Tech to the 1999 national championship game and was a first-team All- American and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played 13 NFL seasons, earned four Pro Bowl selections and was named the league’s 2010 Comeback Player of the Year. Vick later worked as a Fox NFL Sunday commentator and is now head football coach at Norfolk State University. 

Basketball legend Grant Hill of Reston also joins the class. Hill, a two-time NCAA champion, seven-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, is enshrined in both the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He now works as a national broadcaster and co-owns the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride and the Baltimore Orioles. 

Charlottesville’s Tony Bennett, who led the University of Virginia men’s basketball team to the 2019 NCAA national championship; Hampton’s Marcellus “Boo” Williams, one of the nation’s most influential youth basketball coaches; Wally Walker of Charlottesville, a two-time NBA champion and UVA trailblazer; and Kristi Toliver of Harrisonburg, a WNBA champion and NCAA title winner now coaching with the Phoenix Mercury, round out the Class of 2026. 

Visionary leaders and storytellers are also being honored. Terry Driscoll of Williamsburg spent 22 years as William & Mary’s athletic director, guiding 114 conference championships and perfect graduation rates for 118 teams. Roland Lazenby of Wytheville is an award-winning sports author and NBA historian. Richmond’s Bobby Ukrop, named the 2026 Distinguished Virginian, has transformed local sports through philanthropy, including founding Sports Backers and developing The Diamond baseball stadium. 

Induction weekend will feature a “Breakfast with Champions” and autograph session Saturday morning, followed by the Hall of Fame reception and induction that evening. Tickets and sponsorships are available on the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame website. 

“As someone who has been involved with the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame for decades, the Class of 2026 may be the most prestigious class ever assembled,” said Executive Director Bruce Rader. “From championship performers to visionary leaders and storytellers, this group embodies the Hall’s core values of recognition, impact and integrity.”