PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME REMOVES TONY DUNGY FROM VOTING COMMITTEE

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has removed Tony Dungy from its selection committee under a new set of bylaws, according to a report citing reporter Paul Kuharsky. Dungy had served as a voter for six years after joining the committee in 2020. ESPN's Lisa Salters, also a six-year voter, has been cut too, the report said. Kuharsky said 25 selectors, representing 368 combined years of service, have been removed, with 11 confirmed to remain. The changes come months after Dungy left his role at NBC Sports, prompting questions about a possible connection, though none has been confirmed.

Other long-serving members losing their seats include Rick Gosselin after 31 years, Frank Cooney after 33 years, John McClain after 33 years in Houston, and Tony Grossi after 31 years in Cleveland. Bill Polian, who joined alongside Dungy in 2020, has also reportedly been cut. Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said the overhaul aims to remove what he called "unintended biases" from the selection process. The committee is shrinking from 50 members to 28, with 25 voting each year and three non-voting members rotating annually. Team representatives have been eliminated, replaced by 27 at-large voters and one seat for the Pro Football Writers of America.

Porter had already confirmed earlier this month that he was trimming the committee, according to the report. The overhaul follows scrutiny over Bill Belichick's exclusion from Hall of Fame consideration, though the Hall says the review has been under way for two and a half years. Dungy's removal forms part of a wider shakeup rather than a standalone decision. Long-tenured voters across several NFL cities have also lost their seats under the new bylaws.