DALLAS – Conference USA announced its 2023 Hall of Fame Class today. The five-person class is made up of four student-athletes and one coach from four different sports and five institutions.
Meet the CUSA Hall of Fame Class of 2023
Tobi Amusan is the second honoree from UTEP and the second women’s track & field student-athlete to be inducted. Former running back Kenneth Dixon is the first selection for Louisiana Tech. Standout wide receiver Roddy White becomes the fourth person from UAB to receive the honor. Also joining the 36 current members of the Hall of Fame as the first women’s basketball head coach is Tulane’s Lisa Stockton. WKU volleyball player Alyssa Cavanaugh, who passed away in December 2020, enters the 2023 Class as the first selection from WKU.
“Each of our 2023 inductees has made an important impact on their respective sports and the history of our league,” said Judy MacLeod, Conference USA Commissioner. “It is our honor to recognize this exceptional group for induction as our fifth Hall of Fame class. We are appreciative of their contributions and are looking forward to shining a spotlight on their stories, as well as celebrating their legacy to our conference.”
The league’s Hall of Fame Committee selects the nominees and the league’s Athletics Directors serve as the voting panel for the CUSA Hall of Fame. The inaugural class made its debut in 2019 with 20 student-athletes, three coaches and two administrators. Current and future CUSA Hall of Fame class size will be a minimum of one inductee and a maximum of five inductees per year. Nominees not selected in this class will remain on the ballot for future years.
Criteria to be eligible for the Hall of Fame includes the following:
· A minimum of two years played for student-athletes; minimum five years served for
coaches/administrators (coaches/administrators in current roles are eligible)
· Student-athletes are only eligible five years after their last CUSA competition
· Considerations for student-athletes will be based on but not limited to All-America selections and
national honors, CUSA superlative awards, academic standing and off-the-field contributions
· Considerations for coaches/administrators will be based on contributions to CUSA as a whole
2023 CONFERENCE USA HALL OF FAME CLASS
Tobi Amusan, UTEP, Track & Field (2016-17)
· Two-time CUSA Track Athlete of the Year
· 2016 NCAA Outdoor All-American First Team
· 2016 Indoor All-American Second Team
· 2016 CUSA Outdoor Freshman of the Meet
· 2016 Olympian
· Captured first place at the 2016 CUSA Indoor Championships in the 60m hurdles with a personal best of 8.23
· Helped the women’s team secure a team title at the 2016 and 2017 CUSA Indoor Championships and 2017 Outdoor Championships
· 2017 NCAA and CUSA Champion in the 100M outdoor hurdles
· In 2022, she won gold medals in the 100M hurdles and 4×100 relay at the World Championships, African Championships and Commonwealth Games
Alyssa Cavanaugh, WKU, Volleyball (2014-18)
- Michael L. Slive Female Athlete of the Year (2017-18)
- Four-time AVCA All-American
- Four-time CUSA First Team All-Conference
- Two-time CUSA Player of the Year (2016, 2017)
- First WKU player to earn three All-American honors in a single season
- CUSA Freshman of the Year (2014)
- Ranks third in WKU volleyball history with 1,816 career kills and fourth all-time with 3.78 kills per set across her career
- Appeared on the WKU Dean’s List and CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2018. After Be The Match bone marrow drives and promotions throughout the 2018 volleyball and basketballs seasons, Cavanaugh’s father, Eric, was a perfect match and completed a successful transplant in February 2019. Unfortunately, Cavanaugh continued to face challenges from the after-effects of the procedure and diagnosis.
- Helped raise awareness for the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation; an organization that helped the Cavanaugh family throughout her leukemia journey
- Cavanaugh passed away Christmas morning, December 25, 2020. Her legacy lives on through the WKU Volleyball program and Conference USA, as the league announced in June 2021, that the Volleyball Player of the Year award had been renamed to the Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year Award
Kenneth Dixon, LA Tech, Football (2012-15)
· Freshman All-American in 2012
· Second Team All-Conference USA in 2013 and 2014
· First Team All-Conference USA in 2015
· Holds FBS record for most rushing touchdowns scored as a freshman (27)
· Holds FBS record for most points scored by a freshman (168)
· Holds FBS record for most touchdowns scored by a freshman (28)
· Finished career with 522 points, currently the second most in FBS history for a non-kicker
· Finished career with 87 overall touchdowns, currently the second most in FBS history
· Finished career with 72 rushing touchdowns, currently tied for the fourth most in FBS history
· LA Tech’s all-time rushing leader in carries (801), yardage (4,480), and touchdowns (72)
· Only LA Tech player in program history to register three 1,000-yard rushing seasons
· One of 11 players in FBS history to record a 99-yard rush (longest rushing play by a CUSA player)
· Holds the CUSA record for most rushing touchdowns in a single game (6 vs. North Texas in 2015); the 36 points from that game is also a CUSA record
· His 168 points in 2014 and 156 points in 2015 rank in the top five in CUSA history
· His 59 total touchdowns while playing in Conference USA (2013-15) ranks fourth in CUSA history
· Led the Bulldogs to a CUSA West Division title in 2014
· Helped Bulldogs win the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl and the 2015 New Orleans Bowl
· Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, spent four years in the NFL (three with the Ravens and one with the New York Jets)
Roddy White, UAB, Football (2001-04)
- 2003 CUSA Third Team
- 2004 CUSA First Team
- 2004 AP Third Team Selection
- Arguably the best player in program history, wide receiver White had an illustrious career both as a UAB Blazer and as an Atlanta Falcon
- The pinnacle of White’s collegiate career occurred during the 2004 campaign as the wide receiver ascended to the top of numerous school records for a single season
- After hauling in 71 receptions (third) for 1,452 yards (second) and 14 touchdowns (first), White was tabbed an All-American by several publications, highlighted by first-team honors from Pro Football Weekly
- Led UAB to its first bowl game in school history in 2004
- Finished his UAB career with 163 catches for 3,112 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 games during which he eclipsed the century mark for receiving yards
- Ranks among the best in school history in several other categories, including the second overall mark in career touchdowns (26), total receiving yardage in a single game (253 at Tulane, 2004), and career yards per reception (19.09)
- Following his time at UAB, White was one of the NFL’s most consistent receivers as a member of the Atlanta Falcons from 2005-2015 and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He would become the franchise’s leading receiver (now currently second), finishing his career with 808 catches for 10,863 yards and 63 touchdowns
· In 2019, he was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor. He still holds Falcons records for Most receiving yards in a half (185), Most receptions in a playoff game (11), Most career receiving touchdowns (63), Most career WR starts (149), Most games played as a WR (171)
Lisa Stockton, Women’s Basketball Head Coach (1995-2005)
· Two-time CUSA Coach of the Year (2010, 2007)
· Led Tulane to four regular season CUSA Championships (2010, 2007, 1999, 1997) and five CUSA postseason tournament titles (2010, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997)
· Guided Tulane to NCAA Tournament appearances in their first eight years in CUSA (1995-96 to 2002-03) and nine total; Made five WNIT appearances
· Won 20 or more games in 13 seasons in CUSA, leading all CUSA coaches with 397 victories during her time in the league
· Coaches one CUSA Player of the Year, two CUSA Freshmen of the Year and six other individual award winners
About Conference USA
Conference USA is an NCAA Division I conference championing success in college athletics through dedicated leadership, dynamic partnership, and diverse membership. Founded in 1995 and based in Dallas, CUSA is home to nine schools: FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP, and WKU. Kennesaw State joins the league in 2024.
-ConferenceUSA.com-
