Tickets are now on sale for the third induction ceremony and banquet of the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame, set for Saturday, Oct. 24, at the American Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, Ohio. Dinner begins at 6 p.m., and organizers say early reservations are encouraged since tables for previous ceremonies have sold out ahead of the event.
The lodge sits at 34900 Lakeshore Blvd. in Eastlake, according to Cleveland.com. Individual tickets are priced at $100, while a table for eight costs $750, according to croatiansonline.com. Admission includes a family-style dinner with three entree selections and an open bar.
Miocic Headlines a Star-Studded Class
Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, the son of Croatian immigrants, will headline the 2026 class, per the same account. He's joined by Meri Abbado, a two-time Masters World Champion in bodybuilding, and Fred Arbanas, a six-time All-AFL football selection.
Also entering the hall are Gary Beban, winner of the 1967 Heisman Trophy, and Bobby Grich, a six-time Major League Baseball All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. Jack Marin, a two-time NBA All-Star known during his career as “Mr. Consistency,” rounds out the group alongside Rob Ninkovich, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, and Boston Red Sox icon Johnny Pesky, who spent decades with the organization as a player, manager and broadcaster.
Every-Other-Year Tradition Continues
The Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame holds an induction ceremony every other year, as cleveland.com reported. The inaugural ceremony was held in Cleveland in 2022, followed by a second in Pittsburgh in 2024, before this year's banquet returns the celebration to the Cleveland area in Eastlake.
Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster Jerome Jurenovich will serve as master of ceremonies for the Oct. 24 event, croatiansonline.com noted. Tickets and additional event details are being promoted through the organization's website, nfcacf.org, which urges fans to “get your tickets today and be part of this special celebration.”
