National Soccer Hall of Fame

Soccer Hall closes door on Oneonta, becomes ‘virtual hall of fame’

February 15, 2010 by

After months of speculation as to where the new home of the National Soccer Hall of Fame would be, the Hall announced that it will vacate the 62-acre campus located in Oneonta, NY and will transfer the archives to another location.

On February 10, the Hall of Fame made the following statement:

The National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum announced its plan to change its current operating model to address its financial challenges while enhancing its ability to promote the history of soccer to the growing community of fans across the nation.

As part of the operating change, the Hall of Fame will close its Oneonta, N.Y., facility and relocate the collections and archives. Preliminary plans include distributing permanent displays for exhibition in several locations nationwide, while elements of the Hall’s archives not on display will be preserved in storage facilities provided by one of the Hall’s longtime corporate sponsors, Eurosport, located in Hillsborough, N.C.

The annual election process will continue without interruption, and the location of specific induction ceremonies will be planned with consideration to the U.S. soccer calendar, the fan base of respective inductees and any other circumstances unique to a given year. Although specific details have not yet been decided, planning for the 2010 Induction is currently underway with an event anticipated for late summer. The U.S. Soccer Federation will assist with the execution of the annual election and implementation of the Induction event, as well as the relocation of the archive.

The question became what would be done with the facility itself, now that the Hall is now a ‘virtual hall of fame’ as Board Chairman Doug Willies described it during the press conference to announce the decision.

As the relocation process begins, the Hall will seek to transfer title of its 62-acre campus to the Otsego County Development Corporation, a nonprofit entity that promotes commerce and civic improvement. This transfer, pending approval by key New York State agencies and the New York State Supreme Court, will require that soccer programs continue to occur at the current complex, but will also permit the building and grounds to otherwise be used to serve the highest and best interests of the local community.

“The vision for the National Soccer Hall of Fame, its birth, and the majority of its support has, for nearly 30 years, originated in Oneonta,” stated Hall of Fame Board Chairman, Doug Willies. “In recognition of these unprecedented contributions to the promotion of soccer in the United States, the Board of Directors of the NSHOF is pleased to return at no cost to the community the entire campus and facility”.

The Hall will continue to occupy the current facility until the relocation of collections and archives is complete. To facilitate the transition, a contract has been established for the Otsego County Development Corporation to immediately assume management responsibilities associated with the property.

“The National Soccer Hall of Fame is saddened to be closing our doors in Oneonta, a city and region that has showed great support for both the museum and the sport long before we opened here,” Hall of Fame President, Jonathan Ullman said. “Ultimately, we need to move forward in a manner that maximizes our resources and provides the greatest possible access by the public to the history and heroes of the sport, and this is the first step forward in that process.”

There has been a lot of disappointment in the soccer community and among soccer writers, including Frank Giase of the Star-Ledger who called the decision an “embarrassment” with plenty of blame to go around.

Going forward, the Hall will establish more of a web presence on their website at www.soccerhall.org where they will make announcements regarding future exhibits.

More coverage:
News 10 Now (video)
“The Hall without an address” (J Hutcherson – USSoccerPlayers.com)
“Soccer Hall announcement a troubling one” (Jeff Kassouf – Set Piece Analysts)

Jack Huckel leaves the National Soccer Hall of Fame, resolution still ‘far away’

December 17, 2009 by

Jack Huckel (right) poses for a photo with National Football Museum general manager David Pearson. Photo: National Soccer Hall of Fame

Jack Huckel, the Director of Museum & Archives at the National Soccer Hall of Fame, has left the organization. In an email sent out to friends and colleagues, Huckel broke the news:

“It is with a heavy heart I write to note that Friday, December 18 will be my final day at the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. For the past almost ten years I have worked with you in some capacity to celebrate the history, honor the heroes, inspire the youth, and preserve the legacy of soccer in the United States. With the severe financial recession in the tourism industry and our inability to fill the rapidly emptying treasury with donated funds, the Board of Directors has made a decision to change from the operations as they currently exist. With this decision came an inevitable end to my work.”

Huckel said in an interview with TheCup.us back in September, when it was announced that the Hall of Fame was closing its doors, that the board of directors were aiming to have a decision on the Hall’s future by Thanksgiving. The holiday has come and gone and according to Huckel, “discussions continue and, sadly, a resolution seems as far away today as it did .”

Huckel will remain involved in the game of soccer as he will move on to work with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Chances of National Soccer Hall of Fame staying in Oneonta: ‘Slim’

September 22, 2009 by

The National Soccer Hall of Fame recently announced that, after 30 years, they were closing after Labor Day. Jack Huckel, the Director of Museum and Archives, took time to speak with TheCup.us about what’s next for the Oneonta, NY-based soccer mecca.

Jack Huckel, Director of Museum & Archives, addresses the audience during the induction ceremony for the National Soccer Hall of Fame at Wright Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY, on August 2, 2009. Photo: National Soccer Hall of Fame

It was not shocking news, but certainly sad news for soccer fans when The Daily News reported that the National Soccer Hall of Fame would close its doors after Labor Day. The economic difficulties of the museum, located in Oneonta, NY, about 80 miles west of Albany, have been well-documented with the country’s poor economy being the paramount reason for the decline in attendance and revenue. The museum attracts around 17,000 people per year which, along with donations, helps the Hall chip away at a $1 million annual budget.

Jack Huckel, the director of Museum and Archives, says his fears about the state of the Hall’s business affairs were confirmed only months before the announcement was made.

“The administration told us mid-summer that there would have to be changes, or that there would have to be layoffs,” said Huckel. “ was knowable, but the summer was so bad that it came faster than anyone anticipated.”

It doesn’t take a economics degree to see the reason why the Hall of Fame was struggling to make ends meet. A drop in attendance leads to less ticket revenue and less money spent in the gift shop. The number of teams that were entering the youth tournaments held at the Hall’s four soccer fields next to the museum facility had gone down, which created a similar financial snowball effect.

“I think our greatest marketing challenge, believe it or not, is that we put those teams on the fields in those tournaments and we have their parents here and we struggle to bring those people into the museum,” said Huckel. “They’re not soccer fans, they’re Johnny and Janie’s fans.”

Donations had dropped as well, and Huckel says that he believes that people struggling in this tough economy are putting their philanthropic contributions in the hands of human service organizations rather than cultural organizations like the Hall.

“I don’t know of a museum that exists successfully as a business,” said Huckel, who spent 30 years as a soccer coach and volunteered at the museum before being hired full-time in May of 2000. “The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, for example. If they can’t make it without significant contributions, why should anyone else think they can?”

One of the by-products of the financial struggles has been the limited amount of funds that have been invested back into the museum. Huckel says that many of the exhibits that are currently on display are, for the most part, the same ones that were created 10 years ago.

“I felt personally that was not as critical because the numbers were relatively small, and we attract a small repeat audience,” said Huckel. “That’s why museums change, because primarily they are in a metropolitan area and they want to attract that repeat audience.”

The National Soccer Hall of Fame has called this building in Oneonta, NY home since June 12, 1999. <br> Photo: Sarah Hakala — The National Soccer Hall of Fame has called this building in Oneonta, NY home since June 12, 1999. Photo: Sarah Hakala

What the Soccer Hall lacks that other major sports museums in the United States have is a significant benefactor to cover costs and are committed to the long-term success of the organization. Without that benefactor, the financial situation of the museum may not change.

“One of the speculations is that the museum could move to a more populous location,” he said. “It’s my belief that while the numbers might change, the attendance would increase and the income would grow, the economics stay relatively the same. The only way that it makes sense in any location is if there is a benefactor or a group of benefactors that make sure it stays alive.”

As of now, no one has come forward to bring the Hall of Fame to a particular city or to keep it in Oneonta. State Senator James Seward issued a statement shortly after the announcement pledging his support to help keep the Hall in the small New York town, but also acknowledged the financial challenges involved.

The future of the museum is still in the discussion phase, but the chances of the Hall remaining in Oneonta are ‘slim’ according to Huckel. The board of directors are expecting to have a decision made and a plan of action put together before Thanksgiving. The last event at the Hall is the weekend before Thanksgiving (Nov. 21-22) when they host the New York State Public High School soccer tournament.

Open Cup Final at the HOF?

Over the years, there have been rumors, suggestions and even reports that the US Open Cup Final would be moved to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Jack Huckel says that discussions to move the Final to Oneonta, NY never got beyond the exploratory stage. “The logistics of it never really worked,” he says. “But it sure would have been a lot of fun to do.”

Huckel pointed out an additional challenge is that the Hall has to work with an outside entity in order to get approval to move forward with whatever direction they decide to go.

“The museum itself does not have absolute control over all its elements,” he explains. “We were chartered by the New York State Department of Education and in return for giving us the imprinter to be a non-profit and to have the benefits of tax-free donations is that they have an interest in our historical collection. So they have to approve the next step. Whatever we do, they have to sign off on. For example, if this were a business and it went bankrupt, they are like the bondholders, they would then take the archives.”

The Department of Education, which oversees every museum and historical archive in the state of New York, everything from The Met to the smallest historical society, likely won’t stand in the way of a potential move to another city. They are concerned that the Hall’s archive is in good hands no matter where they are located.

The board of directors and the Department of Education met recently and the Department approved all of the options that the Hall are currently exploring. However, details of what those options are have not been disclosed.

3-D Rendering of the National Soccer Hall of Fame

2009 Hall of Fame Induction: Jeff Agoos

2009 Hall of Fame Induction: Joy Fawcett

2009 Hall of Fame Induction Announcement Interviews (FSC)

National Soccer Hall of Fame closes its doors, future uncertain

September 11, 2009 by

American soccer fans everywhere received some bad news as TheDailyStar.com reported that the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York will be closed to the public after Labor Day. The country’s poor economy has had a major impact on many nonprofit organizations, including the Hall of Fame which has called the small New York town home since 1979.

September 4, 2009 – TheDailyStar.com:

No decision has been made by the board of directors about whether to keep the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, Ullman said. Discussions are ongoing between board members, but no formal meeting has been scheduled.

The operating budget of the Soccer Hall is about $1 million per year, he said. There is enough money to continue until a decision is reached, which Ullman said he expects this fall.

One of the motivations for having the Hall of Fame in Oneonta was the close proximity to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, just a few highway miles away. However, many would argue that the visitor carry over from the baseball shrine just a few exits down is not enough to justify the location of the nation’s foremost collection of soccer archives and memorabilia. One of the suggestions has been to move the museum to a major city, rather than where it is now, which is about 80 miles west of Albany, in a town with a population slightly above 13,000.

One alternative being considered is having a central location but devoting more attention to traveling exhibits and events in other spots and online. The effort would include working to develop sponsors and promoting the mission of the organization, he said. This includes celebrating the history, honoring heroes, inspiring youth and preserving the legacy of the sport of soccer, according to the Soccer Hall website.

There is no question there will continue to be a national Hall of Fame, Ullman said. Ballots will go out and there will be an induction in 2010. It was too early to say whether that institution would be in Oneonta, he said.

In discussing what people can do to keep the Soccer Hall in Oneonta, Ullman said, “we continue to be open to any ideas, thoughts or concerns.

Owen Hakala, 2, enjoys some of the kid-friendly activities at the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame has been instrumental in helping the staff of TheCup.us gather much of our historical information that is currently being moved over to the new website. On behalf of everyone here at TheCup.us, we thank them for all of their help to this point and for all their assistance in the future. We wish the Hall of Fame all the best in trying to resolve their financial situation and to find a long-term solution for keeping the institution alive and well for years to come.

Is moving the Hall to a major city the answer to their problems? Maybe a more central location like St. Louis or Chicago which both have rich soccer histories? Or can the museum work in Oneonta? What would be your solution?