RENO, Nev. - Legendary Nevada running back Frank Hawkins, still the Wolf Pack's all-time leading rusher and a 1997 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, was announced Thursday as a member of the Big Sky Conference's 2026 Hall of Fame class.

The eight-member group represents seven different institutions, with Hawkins holding the distinction of becoming the first inductee to come from a school which is not a current member of the Big Sky. Nevada Football played 14 seasons in the Big Sky (1979-92), winning five titles and reaching the NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) playoffs seven times over that span.

The rest of the Big Sky Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes Dennis Erickson (Idaho 1966-68, Montana State 1982-85), Eric Heins (Northern Arizona 2007-16), Amber Henry (Weber State, 2010-14), Pam Parks (Eastern Washington, 1976-78, 1985-99, 1999-2018), Michael Ray Richardson (Montana, 1974-78), Jackie Ross Mattox (Idaho, 1989-93), and Willie Sojourner (Weber State, 1968-71).

Hawkins played for the Wolf Pack from 1977-80, his final two seasons spent in the Big Sky. Over his two seasons in the conference, Hawkins was twice named to the All-Big Sky First Team and an Associated Press All-American and rushed for 3,402 yards, a mark which was the conference's career standard until 1999 and remains second in the Big Sky record book. Hawkin led Division I-AA in rushing in both 1979 and 1980, with his single-season rushing totals in 1979 (1,683) and 1980 (1,719) still ranking 10th and eighth, respectively, in the Big Sky record book, while he also rushed for 24 touchdowns.

Nevada went 14-8-1 overall and 9-5 in the Big Sky from 1979-80, in 1979 earning a Division I-AA playoff berth, the first for a Big Sky school.

Hawkins remains Nevada's all-time leading rusher with 5,333 yards, a mark which was third all-time in the NCAA record book at the end of his career, and he still holds three of the Wolf Pack's top-seven single-season rushing totals. His 947 career carries remains the Wolf Pack standard and he still sits in the program's career top-10 in rushing touchdowns (sixth, 39) and points scored among non-kickers (t-fifth, 264).

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and had his No. 27 retired by the Wolf Pack.

After graduating with his degree in criminal justice, Hawkins was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1981 NFL Draft and played for seven seasons (1981-87) in the NFL. He earned a Super Bowl ring following the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII victory and rushed for 1,659 yards and 15 touchdowns over his career. 

Following his football career, Hawkins returned to his hometown and became a civic leader in Las Vegas. He became the first elected Black official in the city when he served on the Las Vegas City Council and was a board member for the Las Vegas Housing Authority. From 2008-15, he served as the President of the Las Vegas branch of the NAACP and builds affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods in the community in which he grew up.

The 2026 class will be officially inducted on Saturday, July 25 starting at 6:30 p.m. PT, as part of the Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, Washington, just four miles from Spokane International Airport.

Tickets for the gala, which have sold out the past three years after reaching full capacity, can be purchased at BigSkyConf.com/HOF. Each ticket is $85, plus fees, which includes admission to the gala, a commemorative poster, and a meal. Purchasers will get to choose from among three options for their meal.

"The Big Sky Hall of Fame Gala has become one of the conference's more meaningful traditions as we celebrate the event's fifth year in 2026," Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. "This year's eight-member class represents excellence, leadership, and the lasting impact that generations of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators have had on the Big Sky Conference. Honoring those who came before us is essential to preserving the history and spirit of this league, and we look forward to celebrating these remarkable individuals and their legacies as part of the Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend in Spokane this July."

Thursday's announcement marks the fifth induction class of the Big Sky Hall of Fame, for a league which began in 1963 and has been home to 16 full-time members over the course of its storied history. The Big Sky Hall of Fame now features 54 total members, with the first class being honored in 2022, also as part of the league's Football Kickoff Weekend in Spokane. 

For the full Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame Class, click here.

Beginning in 2023, the Big Sky's partnership with Baron Championship Rings supplied all honorees with specialized Hall of Fame rings following their induction. This year will be no different, as all eight inductees for the 2026 class will receive complimentary rings as well.

Hall of Fame Eligibility Criteria

• An alumnus/alumna is eligible only if he/she has participated in two (2) full seasons of competition at a Big Sky member institution and should have made outstanding contributions or offered extraordinary service to athletics at the institutional, conference and national level.
• An alumnus/alumna is eligible at any time beginning five (5) years after completing their collegiate eligibility.
• Coaches who have made outstanding contributions or offered extraordinary service to Big Sky athletics shall be eligible for recognition into the Hall of Fame after service of five (5) full years.
• Coaches must have completed their tenure as coach or have been out of the conference for at least five (5) years.
• Administrators who have made outstanding contributions or offered extraordinary service to Big Sky athletics shall be eligible for recognition into the Hall of Fame after service of three (3) full years and are immediately eligible.

The 2026 Hall of Fame class was selected by a committee of 14 members, which included representative from all 10 full-time Big Sky institutions, as well as an additional Athletic Director, Senior Women's Administrator, a conference office representative, and an at-large committee member among the group of 14 voters.