The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, home to 137 of the state’s greatest sports icons including Hank Aaron, Vince Lombardi and Oscar Robertson, is now for the first time in its 66-year history accepting online fan nominations for future Hall of Fame classes.

Fans are encourage to nominate athletes, coaches, broadcasters, sports executives, athletic contributors or administrators, living or deceased, who have achieved athletic excellence or who have made significant contributions to advance or support athletics in Wisconsin. Nominations for the 2017 Hall of Fame class are being accepted through September 30th, 2016, and can be submitted through the official Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame website: wihalloffame.com/nominate.

"Wisconsin is fortunate to not only have been home to some of the greatest athletes in our nation’s history, but also to the best fans as well," said Brian Lammi, executive director of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. "When we acquired the Hall of Fame, one of the first things we decided is that we wanted the fans to have a say in the induction process. Now for the first time in the Hall of Fame’s distinguished history, they have that opportunity to do that quickly and easily through our official website."

A Hall of Fame Advisory Board and Induction Selection Committee will review the nominations determine who is inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. Nominees will be selected based on who has made a positive, lasting impact on Wisconsin athletics. Nominees will remain eligible for 10 years from their initial nomination. Nominees not inducted during a 10 year review may be re-nominated for future consideration. A full list of current Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame inductees can be found at wihalloffame.com/history.

Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame celebrated its 65th anniversary by inducting two new members: Green Bay Packers all-time leading wide receiver Donald Driver and record-setting retired Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan.

The Wisconsin Athletic Walk of Fame, located on 4th Street in Milwaukee’s downtown sports and entertainment district, contains bronze plaques commemorating the 137 members of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. The Walk of Fame is free and open to the public 365 days a year.

To learn more about the history of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, read OnMilwaukee's longform feature story here. To see photos from the 2016 induction ceremony, check out the gallery here.