NATCHITOCHES – The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation is proud to announce Chesapeake Energy Corporation has once again supported the Foundation as the title sponsor of the 2012 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

As the culminating event of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Weekend, the Induction Ceremony will be held June 23 at the Natchitoches Events Center and host more than 600 people as the state’s top athletes, coaches, sports leaders and journalists will be represented with 11 new inductees.

“We embrace this opportunity to invest in an event that shines a spotlight on some of our state’s greatest assets. Our sponsorship of this year’s induction ceremonies is especially meaningful since the events take place in the Haynesville Shale region,” said Paul Pratt, Chesapeake’s Director ̶ Corporate Development. “We are especially pleased to assist the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in their work to preserve the history of Louisiana’s sports champions and leaders and are excited about the new Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum under construction in Natchitoches.”

Construction of the 27,500 square foot museum began in 2008-2009 and is expected to be completed by early 2013. The Hall of Fame itself will occupy the first floor of the new museum, with the second floor showcasing Louisiana's Sports Paradise, a blend of sports history and culture, along with the Northwest Louisiana Regional History Museum.

“As the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation broadens its support beyond the annual induction to supporting the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum, partners like Chesapeake are critical to the success of the LSHOFF,” said Lisa Babin, President and CEO of the LSHOFF.



Tickets for the induction ceremony can be obtained online at lasportshall.com through a secure transaction, or by calling the Hall of Fame office at 318-238-4255.



Five football standouts, led by New Orleans Saints’ great Deuce McAllister and Baton Rouge native Warrick Dunn, are among the eight 2012 athletes and coaches who will enter the Hall of Fame.



Another remarkable running back, LSU great Terry Robiskie, joins Louisiana Tech pass catching sensation Roger Carr and highly-successful former Southern head coach Pete Richardson in the five-man football component going into the Hall in late June.



Three-time Grambling basketball All-American Aaron James, a New Orleans native, joins LSU baseball stalwart Eddy Furniss and nationally-acclaimed jockey Mark Guidry, a Lafayette native, in the Hall’s 2012 induction class.



Dr. L.J. Mayeux of Marksville, the former national president and Chairman of the Board for Ducks Unlimited, is the 2012 recipient of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award.



Two very influential figures in the coverage of sports across Louisiana for decades, Baton Rouge sports editor Butch Muir and New Orleans sportswriter Bill Bumgarner, are the winners of the 2012 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.



“As we celebrate the indelible influence of sports on the state of Louisiana, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association has yet again elected an incredible group of inductees that has made everyone in Louisiana proud to call Louisiana home," said Doug Ireland, chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.