BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan University announced the creation of the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational Thursday, June 17. Made possible through a generous gift from Greg and Coe Gardner, the annual tournament will feature four games between some of the most storied programs in NCAA Division III basketball history. The inaugural Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational will take place this fall, Nov. 12-13, and feature Illinois Wesleyan, Hope, Saint John's, and UW-Oshkosh.

"We are incredibly excited to announce the creation of the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational," said IWU Head Coach Ron Rose. "We are very grateful for the generosity of Greg and Coe in making this a reality. Having the ability to host some of the top teams in the country on an annual basis will be a great test for our teams early in the season, as well as an exciting event for basketball fans in the Bloomington-Normal community."

Greg and Coe Gardner, who both graduated from Illinois Wesleyan in 1960, will sponsor the four-team invitational. After earning his MBA from Bradley, Greg returned to IWU in 1965 as an accounting professor, where he later had Jack Sikma as a student. He also served as Illinois Wesleyan's Faculty Athletic Representative from 1967 to 1986 for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. 

"For many years, Coe and I have valued our personal relationships with both Illinois Wesleyan University and Jack Sikma," Greg Gardner said. "Now, through the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational, we take great pride in strengthening those relationships even further while supporting current and future Titan student-athletes."

After several years of hosting accounting seniors at their home for an end of year party, Greg and Coe moved to Arizona. The relationship between the Gardner's and Sikma extended far past his collegiate days, as Greg, Coe, and the NBA all-star would often get together for dinner when Sikma's squad played in Phoenix. 

"I am very excited for the inaugural Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational at Illinois Wesleyan University and grateful to both Greg and Coe for their support of this event and shining a light on Division III basketball and small college athletic programs as a whole," Sikma exclaimed. "I hope everyone is as excited as I am to watch some incredibly high-quality basketball in such a great venue at the Shirk Center."

A seven-time National Basketball Association all-star and Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame member, Sikma is the school's all-time leading scorer (2,272 points) and rebounder (1,405). In each of his last three seasons, the Titans won College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships and advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament in Kansas City.

To view IWU's full 2021-22 schedule, click here.