BURNSVILLE, Minn. —  The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced its 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees and Winona State's Tom Sawyer will be inducted into this year's class.

Sawyer built one of the most successful football programs in conference history, leading Winona State University to sustained excellence over 25 seasons as head coach. Sawyer compiled a program-record 197 victories and guided the Warriors to 22 winning seasons, establishing Winona State as a perennial contender in the NSIC. A five-time NSIC Coach of the Year, he led the program to 11 conference championships and six NCAA Division II playoff appearances, along with four trips to the Mineral Water Bowl.

Under Sawyer's leadership, Winona State developed numerous standout student-athletes, including seven Harlon Hill Award candidates, 10 Academic All-Americans and more than 50 All-Americans. His teams also produced nearly 400 All-NSIC selections, reflecting both the consistency and depth of the program during his tenure.

Sawyer's impact extended beyond wins and championships, as he helped shape the culture of Winona State football through his commitment to player development and academic success. He remains actively involved in the Winona community and the university following his coaching career. He currently resides in Winona with his wife Connie and enjoys spending time with his children, Jessica Dietel (Mike) and Tommy Sawyer (Carly) and his grandchildren, Maxwell Dietel, Carson Dietel, and Andie Sawyer.

The class of 2026 includes: Sheena Devine, Bemidji State University, Kayla Koenecke, Concordia University, St. Paul; Mike Thorson, University of Mary; Kevin Mulder, Minnesota State University Moorhead; Michelle (Bruns) Kirk, Southwest Minnesota State University; Heather Miller-Koch, St. Cloud State University, Troy Pribnow, Wayne State College; and Tom Sawyer, Winona State University.

The induction ceremony will be held Tuesday, July 7 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington-Minneapolis South as part of the annual NSIC Summer Kickoff event.  A social will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 6:00 p.m. Reserve your tickets for the banquet by visiting https://northernsun.org/HOFBanquet and filling out the online Hall of Fame Banquet Registration Form.  Registrations are due no later than July 1, as space is limited for this event.

Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC - the former men's conference) Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league.  For the first two inductions (1986 and 1990) each selection hailed from the NIC.  In 1992, the Northern Sun Conference (NSC - the former women's conference) and the NIC merged, creating the current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  After annual inductions since 2000, the NSIC Hall of Fame will now boast over 238 members and three teams.