Gold Jacket is among ultimate Hall of Fame traditions. Why is that?

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Unlike the green jacket handed out to winners of The Masters golf tournament each year, Pro Football Hall of Famers get measured for their own threads in a shade of gold.

For the Class of 2026, the legends receiving gold jackets will include Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri.

Receiving gold jackets is a tradition for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class, which get to be shown off annually at the Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner presented by Haggar, the company that's been making Hall of Fame jackets since 1978.

Why do Pro Football Hall of Famers get a gold jacket?​

In addition to the bronze busts of Pro Football Hall of Famers, each person inducted into the Hall gets a gold jacket and ring to be worn exclusively by them to signify an elite fraternity.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's policy is so stringent, in fact, that back in 2016 it issued a statement amid criticism from one of the daughters of Ken Stabler that it would stand by its stance to not give gold jackets or rings to family members of players inducted posthumously, according to reporting from NBC Sports.

“While the iconic bronzed busts are created to memorialize every member of the Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame Ring and Gold Jacket are items presented to living Hall of Fame members to be worn exclusively by them as evidence and pride of their having been elected to sport’s most elite fraternity,” the statement said at the time. “At no time in its 53-year history has the Hall of Fame presented either of these personal adornments posthumously or retroactively to a family member of a deceased Hall of Famer.”

According to NFL.com, some Hall of Famers receiving gold jackets have asked for special requests like reinforcing the pockets of their jackets in order to hold bulky microphones if and when they wear their jackets on television broadcasts.

When is the 2026 Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner at the Pro Football Hall of Fame?​

The Gold Jacket Dinner will take place at the Canton Civic Center on Friday, Aug. 7, at 5 p.m. ET.

Can guests buy tickets to the Gold Jacket Dinner?​

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Yes, guests can purchase tickets to attend the Gold Jacket Dinner or ceremony-only tickets that exclude the cocktail reception and dinner that accompany tickets to the full event.

Prices for ceremony-only tickets start at roughly $99, while tickets to the full event start at around $200.

The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Gold Jacket is among ultimate Hall of Fame traditions. Why is that?

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