The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced a major overhaul of its process for selecting new inductees, which will take effect with the Class of 2027. The separate veterans category will be eliminated, the number of members on the selection committee will be reduced by nearly half, and the discussion of candidates will again be held in person.
The committee will be reduced from 50 to 28 members: 25 will vote, and three will participate in the discussions without voting rights. Previously, the committee included one representative from each of the 32 NFL clubs, 17 independent members, and a representative from the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA). Now, 27 seats will be allocated to independent experts and one to the PFWA.
Furthermore, the distinction between current and veteran players will be eliminated. Previously, players who retired more than 25 years ago were considered separately. Now, all candidates who retired at least five years ago will participate in the general selection process. The final round will include 13 players, one coach, and one administrator. Of these 15 candidates, ten will be selected first, then seven. The committee will be able to vote on six, but induction into the Hall of Fame will still require at least 80% of the votes.
The changes followed criticism of the voting process for the 2026 class. Specifically, six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick failed to secure the required number of votes for induction into the Hall of Fame.
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