In 1891, Dr. James Naismith invented basketball at Springfield College. 135 years later, the Hall of Hope returns the next generation of student-athletes to the very campus where the game was born — Springfield investing in its own, in the city that gave the world the game.
Hosted at Springfield College, two days bring student-athletes together with basketball Legends to innovate, train, and compete — AI workshops, financial literacy, podcasting, on-court clinics, and a Shark Tank–style pitch. On Thursday evening, the celebration moves to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the Gold Jacket Enshrinement, honoring the 2026 class: Nancy Lieberman, Chuck Cooper, Harold "Lefty" Williams, and Mario West.
