FGCU Athletics will be celebrating the induction of Dr. Ben Hill Griffin III, Dr. Bill Merwin, Chris Sale, Duane Swanson, Sr., and Brooke Youngquist Sweat into our newly established Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, January 14.

The event will be open to the public with tickets now on sale for $75 each. It will be held in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom with a reception and dinner beginning at 6 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony.

You may also register and pay for your seats by below.

This group represents some of the most iconic individuals associated with the FGCU Department of Athletics. Two of the most notable student-athletes in the department's 20-year history, Chris Sale and Brooke Youngquist Sweat, are joined by a trio of foundational forefathers in Dr. Ben Hill Griffin III, Dr. Bill Merwin, and Duane Swanson, Sr., who each paved the way for the success the Eagles are currently enjoying. They will join the 2012-13 FGCU Men's Basketball Team, Dunk City, which was inducted on Nov. 15, 2021 prior to the home game against USC. 

As two of the most accomplished individual student-athletes in FGCU history, Sale and Youngquist Sweat continue to represent the Eagles at the highest level of their sport. A World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox, Sale is a seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star. This marks the second time Sale has been part of an inaugural Hall of Fame class, as he was among the first honored by the ASUN Conference as well in 2015. Youngquist Sweat was also inducted into the ASUN Hall of Fame in 2018 and continues to be one of the top beach volleyball athletes having represented Team USA in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. 

The honors for Griffin, Merwin and Swanson all come posthumously, though their impact is still strongly felt on campus today. Griffin passed away in July 2020 but is considered the father of Florida Gulf Coast University after his generous philanthropy and land donation literally set the foundation for the campus in Southwest Florida. What Griffin was for the University, the late President Merwin is considered for the Department of Athletics. Merwin's leadership and vision was key in FGCU's ascension to the NCAA Division I level and the success enjoyed with a current count of 86 conference championship titles and 43 NCAA tournament/championship appearances. Swanson, whom the FGCU baseball stadium is named after, was critical in making that complex along with the softball stadium, soccer facility and the Outdoor Sports Complex become reality – both through his own generous contributions and sharing that vision with others.
 
Thank you for your continued support of FGCU Athletics!