SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Southern Conference announced the league's 2026 Hall of Fame Class per a release Thursday morning, notably tabbing The Citadel football standout and long-time NFL broadcaster Paul Maguire to the prestigious honor roll, good for just the 11th induction group in SoCon history. The ceremony will be held at Battery Park Hall in Asheville, N.C., on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
 
Along with Maguire, who played for The Citadel from 1957-59 before graduating in 1960, the list of inductees includes Georgia Southern football coach Paul Johnson (1997-2001), Davidson men's basketball coach Bob McKillop (1992-2014), Furman women's basketball student-athlete and coach Jackie Smith Carson (1997-2000, 2011-2023) and Appalachian State men's soccer legend Thompson Usiyan (1977-1980).
 
For the first time in the Hall of Fame's existence, teams were eligible for nomination, and the 2007 App State Football team finished as the top vote-getter.
 
"The Hall of Fame Ceremony at The SoCon Soirée recognizes the most exceptional individuals and teams in our conference's 100-plus year history," SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. "There is no better way to launch SoCon Week and the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships in Asheville. We are grateful to Explore Asheville for their partnership as our presenting sponsor and for helping us pay tribute to these legendary figures who represent the pinnacle of Southern Conference achievement."
 
Maguire enjoyed a memorable career on the gridiron as a tight end and punter for the Bulldogs from 1956 to 1959. The Youngstown, Ohio, native led the Bulldogs in receiving yards each of his four seasons and was the team's top punter across his final three years. The two-time All-SoCon selection posted his best season during his senior campaign, powering The Citadel to an 8-2 overall mark and a 5-1 record in SoCon play. Maguire led the team with 32 catches for 549 yards and a national-best 10 touchdowns as a senior, earning 1959 SoCon Player of the Year and third-team Associated Press All-America honors. Maguire also led the league with a then-school-record 42.8 yards per punt on 32 attempts. He finished his four-year stint as a Bulldog with 76 catches for 1,524 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 20.1 yards per catch over four seasons, and managed a 40.2 yards per punt average for his career as well.

The Los Angeles Chargers drafted Maguire in the 1960 AFL Draft, and he played four seasons in Southern California, helping the Chargers to an AFL title in 1963. He joined the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and helped the club to AFL titles in 1964 and 1965. A two-time AFL All-Star league leader in punting on three occasions, he averaged 41.7 yards per punt for his career and picked off nine passes while playing linebacker. Following his playing career, Maguire embarked on a long and successful stint as a color analyst for NBC and ESPN, rising to a position on NBC's top NFL broadcast team in the mid-1990s.