New England Patriots
Kraft is one in every of seven members from the Patriots’ dynasty period to be nominated for induction into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame this week.
There’s an opportunity Invoice Belichick and Robert Kraft might be inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame collectively subsequent summer season.
Kraft has been named one of many 21 nominees within the contributor class for induction into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame as a part of the Class of 2026. It marks the 14th yr that Kraft will probably be thought-about for induction into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame.
Not many house owners have been extra profitable in NFL historical past than Kraft. Since Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994, New England has received six Tremendous Bowls, 10 AFC titles, and 19 AFC East titles. The six Tremendous Bowl wins and 10 AFC titles are essentially the most ever by an proprietor in NFL historical past. Kraft has additionally been an influential determine in serving to the NFL get document TV offers because the chairman of the league’s media committee.
Regardless of Kraft’s success, he hasn’t had a lot luck in attempting to get inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame. He’s but to be named a finalist for induction, however has been named as a semifinalist within the final couple of years.
Kraft’s mission to get into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame has additionally grow to be a notable off-field storyline for the Patriots over the previous few years. As Kraft hoped to get inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2025, a September 2024 story from ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. documented the lengths the Patriots group has gone in its marketing campaign to attempt to get the proprietor inducted.
Forward of the Class of 2025 induction course of, the Corridor of Fame seemingly made it simpler for Kraft to get inducted because it separated coaches and contributors into two totally different classes. However a nine-member committee superior NFL co-founder and former Canton Bulldogs proprietor Ralph Hay because the finalist for induction from the contributor class.
The choice to appoint Hay over Kraft was a shock to the 50-person committee that will get the ultimate vote within the Corridor of Fame induction course of, according to Van Natta. Hay finally wasn’t inducted as a member of the Class of 2025 and has been nominated once more in 2026.
The information of Kraft’s Corridor of Fame nomination got here a number of days after Belichick was one of 12 coaches nominated for induction as a part of the Class of 2026. Each Kraft and Belichick will discover out in the event that they’re one of many 9 semifinalists for induction of their respective classes in November. One finalist within the contributor and coach classes will probably be picked in December.
A number of different former Patriots gamers had been additionally nominated for induction earlier this week. Logan Mankins, Vince Wilfork, Asante Samuel, Rodney Harrison, and Adam Vinatieri had been among the many 52 modern-era gamers nominated for induction as a part of the Class of 2026. A committee will decide 25 gamers from that group to be named as semifinalists in November earlier than establishing 15 finalists in December.
A complete of 20 finalists (15 modern-era gamers, three senior period gamers, one coach, one contributor) will probably be offered for induction to the choice committee for one ultimate vote forward of Tremendous Bowl LX in February. Whereas there’s no set variety of how many individuals may be enshrined, the bylaws stipulate that 4 to eight new members will probably be chosen for induction into the Corridor of Fame.
