The University Athletic Association (UAA) has announced its inaugural Hall of Fame class, and three memorable figures in New York University athletics history are among the inductees.
Established in 1986, the UAA has created the Richard A. Rasmussen UAA Hall of Fame in honor of the Association's first Executive Director who retired prior to the 2024-25 academic year.
Overall, 36 men and women former UAA student-athletes, coaches and administrators will be inducted. The Hall of Fame actually began on June 4, 2024, with Rasmussen selected as the namesake and only inductee.
"I was completely taken aback, humbled, and incredulous last spring when my UAA colleagues informed me I would be the inaugural member of the UAA Hall of Fame and would also become its namesake," Rasmussen said. "To be recognized by your peers for being a part of something as special as the UAA and its evolution was something truly special. The real honor for me is to be joined by contingents of accomplished student-athletes, coaches, and leaders as those in this first cohort of honorees,"
Over the past year, a committee was formed with representatives from each institution and the Association office to nominate and select individuals to be included in the first class. To be eligible as a student-athlete, a person must have earned their undergraduate degree from a UAA institution, competed for at least three years in the UAA, and graduated at least 10 years ago. Coaches and administrators become eligible once they have retired from a UAA institution.
NYU's three representatives in the first Hall of Fame class are: Marsha Harris ('98), captain of the 1997 Division III women's basketball national championship team and the Violets' all-time career points leader; Jessica McEntee ('09), a three-time UAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year and eight-time All-American; and Dr. L. Jay Oliva, NYU's 14th president and a founding member of the UAA.
"We are incredibly honored to have three representatives in the inaugural UAA Hall of Fame class," said NYU's Director of Athletics, Jake Olkkola. "Marsha, Jessica and Dr. Oliva are three pivotal figures in the history of NYU Athletics and the UAA, and they all represent the best of what a Violet can be."
Dr. Oliva was a founding member of the UAA and a forceful advocate for restoring a sensible balance between collegiate athletics and scholarship, having written extensively on the topic. He worked his way up from Russian history professor to Chancellor and Executive Vice-President for Academic Affairs at the time of the formation of the UAA and became the first faculty member to ascend to University President in 1991.
He is one of four posthumous honorees in this class.
Harris earns her place in Association history as arguably the best women's basketball player in NYU program history. She ended her storied career as the program leader in career points (2,140), points per game average (18.8), and career field goals (779). She scored the winning basket in the 1997 National Championship Final, was a two-time UAA Player of the Year, won the 1998 Walter Byers Award for the NCAA's top scholar-athlete, was a two-time Kodak All-American, and the 2023 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipient.
McEntee helped lead the Violets to a Final Four appearance in 2007. She is one of only three players from the NYU men's or women's programs to record over 1,500 career points (1,711) and 1,000 (1,133) career rebounds, which currently rank #4 and #2, respectively, on the Violets' career lists. McEntee was a three-time D3hoops.com East Region Player of the Year, the 2009 Women's DIII News Player of the Year and later served as an assistant coach for the Violets for two seasons.
The first UAA Hall of Fame class includes 25 student-athletes, seven administrators, three coaches, and one coach/student-athlete. Each UAA sport is represented in the first class with each current institution being represented with at least two inductees.
"It is no accident that the individuals in this cohort represent every UAA member institution and the full array of sports sponsored across the UAA. The level of achievement and significant contributions of these individuals reflect the commitment of the UAA institutions and its leaders to the pursuit of the highest levels of excellence in every aspect of the student-athlete experience," Rasmussen commented. "Our institutions recruited exceptional student-athletes, hired coaches who believed in their vision of the role of intercollegiate athletics, and constructed facilities that enhanced their mission. That common and inherent commitment to ensure student-athletes could reach beyond their grasp without compromise of athletic or academic achievement is reflected in the fact that student-athletes, coaches, and leaders from every institution are being recognized as being among the best in what they have accomplished and what they have contributed to the UAA and their home institutions."
