South Charlotte Today

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's selection process has become more stringent this year due to rule changes enacted by the Hall's board of directors. The Class of 2025 could be significantly smaller than in previous years, with a potential minimum class size of four inductees—three modern players and one from the senior/coach/contributor category.

Among the 15 modern finalists discussed in a recent selection committee meeting were two Panthers legends, Luke Kuechly and Steve Smith. However, all candidates face increased competition due to new voting procedures designed to maintain the exclusivity of Hall membership.

Previously, reduction votes narrowed down 15 modern finalists to five, followed by individual yes-no votes requiring an 80 percent approval for induction. This year, after reducing the pool from 15 to 10, a further cut was made to seven candidates. Each committee member then voted for five candidates who needed at least 40 out of 49 votes (81.632 percent) for induction.

This adjustment means that achieving consensus among voters is crucial yet challenging. As Eric Eager, Panthers vice president of football analytics explained: "Assuming each finalist has a five out of seven = 71.4 percent chance to be chosen by a given voter, the chances of getting 80 percent of the vote (40 voters to choose him) out of 49 ballots is (using the binomial distribution): 7.3 percent."

The change in rules aims to preserve elite status within the Hall but makes it harder for deserving players to secure their place among football greats.