Legends Return to Lincoln: Nebraska Unveils Electrifying 2025 Athletics Hall of Fame Class

An elite pantheon just got five titans stronger. In a dazzling announcement that sent ripples through the Nebraska sports universe, the Huskers have unveiled their star-studded 2025 Athletics Hall of Fame Class—a sensational lineup of all-time greats who forever altered the trajectory of their respective sports.

Prepare for goosebumps. The hallowed hall will welcome five transcendent athletes whose legacies tower like granite over Husker Nation:

• Kevin Davis (Men’s Gymnastics, 1985–88)
• Diandra Hyman (Bowling, 1999–2002)
• Lisa Reitsma (Volleyball, 1994–97)
• Aaron Taylor (Football, 1993–97)
• Stephanie Thater (Volleyball, 1989–92)

Together, these five Husker immortals collected an astonishing 18 All-America honors, three NCAA individual titles, and fueled their teams to an astounding seven national championships. Their careers are not just chapters in the Nebraska Athletics storybook—they are the legends that built the mythos.

“To be inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame is not merely a nod to greatness—it is a declaration of dominance,” said Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen. “These athletes weren’t just the best of their era—they defined the standard to which all others now aspire.”

The celebration of these iconic figures will culminate in a ceremonial induction on Friday, October 31, followed by a thunderous recognition in front of a packed Memorial Stadium during the highly anticipated Nebraska-USC football showdown on Saturday, November 1. Their names will be permanently etched into the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Plaza, where history whispers from stone beneath the open sky.

⭐ The Inductees: Living Legends

KEVIN DAVIS — The All-Around Marvel

Men’s Gymnastics, 1985–88 | Lithonia, GA

A gymnast of mythic skill and mental tenacity, Kevin Davis wasn’t just good—he was a force of nature. With the agility of a panther and the precision of a surgeon, Davis vaulted into the national spotlight, capturing three NCAA individual titles, including two in parallel bars and the illustrious all-around crown.

His collegiate heroics crescendoed in 1988, where he not only led Nebraska to a national championship but also competed in the Seoul Olympics for Team USA. Seven-time All-American. 28 event titles. Big Eight all-around king. Olympic gymnast. U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Famer (2007). The resume reads like fiction—but it’s breathtakingly real.

DIANDRA HYMAN — The Queen of the Lanes

Bowling, 1999–2002 | Dyer, IN

When Diandra Hyman took to the lanes, pins didn’t just fall—they surrendered. A generational talent, Hyman ignited the Nebraska bowling dynasty like a match to gasoline. As a freshman, she helped capture a national title in only the program’s second varsity season.

By her sophomore year, she was the National Collegiate Bowler of the Year, boasting a stunning 212.57 average and five event titles. She ended her reign as Nebraska’s all-time pinfall leader (63,065)—a record etched in dominance. With two national championships and three All-America honors, she didn’t just set the standard—she shattered it.

LISA REITSMA — The Hammer of Huskerville

Volleyball, 1994–97 | Sanborn, IA

Unstoppable. Untouchable. Unforgettable. Lisa Reitsma wasn’t just an outside hitter—she was an aerial assault on opposing defenses. With a vertical leap that defied gravity and a spike that could wake the dead, Reitsma helped lead Nebraska to its first-ever national volleyball championship in 1995.

A three-time All-American, Reitsma racked up over 1,600 career kills and still holds Nebraska’s single-season kill record (611 in 1996). Her lethal combination of athleticism and intellect made her an eight-time conference Player of the Week, a first-team academic All-American, and a living legend on and off the court.

AARON TAYLOR — The Trenches Titan

Football, 1993–97 | Wichita Falls, TX

Aaron Taylor is not just a name in the playbook of Nebraska football—it’s carved in stone. The only Husker to earn All-America honors at two positions, Taylor was a human bulldozer who paved the way for one of the most dominant rushing attacks in college football history.

From 1994 to 1997, Taylor helped Nebraska bulldoze its way to a 49-2 record and three national championships. He was unanimous All-American in 1997, an Outland Trophy winner, and the heartbeat of Tom Osborne’s offensive line dynasty. His iconic No. 67 was retired in 1998, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018. If college football had royalty, Aaron Taylor would wear the crown.

STEPHANIE THATER — The Block Boss

Volleyball, 1989–92 | Union, MO

She didn’t just guard the net—she ruled it. Stephanie Thater was the fortress in the middle, the immovable object to every opponent’s unstoppable force. With a career tally of 592 blocks—a Nebraska record at the time—Thater redefined dominance as a three-time All-American and two-time Big Eight Player of the Year.

In 1992, she was a finalist for the prestigious Honda Award, bestowed on the nation’s top volleyball player. Her No. 2 jersey, retired in 2010, still inspires awe in the rafters. In a sport measured by momentum, Thater was a momentum killer—calm, deadly, and revered.

A Shrine to Immortality

These five phenoms will soon be immortalized at the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Plaza, a sacred corridor that threads past East Memorial Stadium, flanks the Osborne Legacy Complex, and nods respectfully toward the historic NU Coliseum. Accessible 24/7 and bathed in soft night light, this open-air museum of greatness reminds all who visit: legends live forever here.

Mark Your Calendars

Induction Ceremony: Friday, October 31, 2025
Game Day Recognition: Saturday, November 1, 2025 (vs. USC)

Final Word

The 2025 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Class is more than a group of former athletes. They are icons, architects of victory, guardians of tradition, and trailblazers who made history bend to their will. Their stories are stitched into Nebraska’s fabric—and now, engraved in its stone.

This fall, Husker Nation won’t just remember their greatness—we’ll rise to meet it.