Ryan Broekhoff spoke, and members of the current Valparaiso University men's basketball team listened.
 
As the former NBA player imparted his wisdom and experiences upon current members of head coach Roger Powell Jr.'s program prior to the team's 54-44 victory over UNI, the moment encapsulated everything that Valpo's All-Sports Reunion Weekend is all about. Present, meet past. Past, meet present.
 
If you found yourself slipping into a daydream during All-Sports Reunion Weekend, you were not alone. Broekhoff's return to the Athletics-Recreation Center as part of the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 harkened back memories of his unforgettable buzzer-beating shot against Green Bay in the 2013 Horizon League semifinals, the most remembered shot in ARC history, helping Valpo eventually reach the NCAA Tournament after winning the title game.
 
And on a day where many felt nostalgic, the atmosphere at the ARC – fueled by the largest crowd of the season – started to remind us of the great moments of the past. The current team put together an inspired performance, beating a UNI team that was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference by double figures to secure a third straight home victory.
 
While those basketball moments came in front of the most eyeballs, the weekend was truly an All-Sports Reunion, and there were moments just as special for each Valpo program. Valpo's longest-tenured head coach – legendary volleyball head honcho Carin Avery – saw three of her teams enshrined into the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2003, 2004 and 2005 volleyball teams posted a combined 40-2 Mid-Continent Conference record en route to three regular season conference championships and three conference tournament crowns.
 
"The group of girls that we were able to put together were not only really good volleyball players, but they were better humans," Avery said during her interview as part of Saturday morning's Hall of Fame breakfast. "The parents at that time were so helpful and were wonderful supporters of our team. The girls got along and were super close knit. We had a great culture. It was hard, but we also had a lot of fun."
 
While Avery was talking about her teams from over two decades ago, she easily could have been describing her current team, which is coming off a runner-up finish in the Missouri Valley Conference and exhibits many of those same characteristics.
 
In addition to the celebration of the volleyball teams and of Broekhoff, Saturday's Hall of Fame induction featured the enshrinement of Shayne Snider (football) and Kyle Zobeck (men's soccer), plus the posthumous induction of Calvin Luther (men's basketball) who went on to become a legendary head coach after his graduation from Valpo.
 
After the induction breakfast, the newly-minted Hall of Famers made their way to the 2026 Valpo Athletics Letter Jacket Ceremony, where they shook hands with second-year Valpo student-athletes just moments after they put on their letter jackets for the first time. A touching video voiced by legendary alums Lloyd McClendon (former Major League Baseball manager) and Carolyn Schlie Femovich (former Patriot League Commissioner) helped kick off the rite of passage.
 
Following Saturday's men's basketball game, the first-ever Valpo Golf Winter Open House was hosted by the men's and women's programs in the Elliott Center Golf Room. This offered alums and supporters the opportunity to interact with members of the current teams and gave the programs a chance to showcase the on-campus indoor golf facility that helps the teams prepare and train during the winter months.
 
As event after event unfolded celebrating the past and present of Valpo Athletics, a man who will play a significant role in shaping the University's future was omnipresent. Whether it was Friday's swim meet, Saturday's ceremonies, Saturday's men's basketball game, Sunday's tennis match or Sunday's women's basketball game, the man with the unmistakable bow tie was there. Rev. Brian Konkol, who began his tenure as the President of Valparaiso University on Jan. 1, showed his support for Valpo student-athletes throughout the weekend.
 
Present, meet future. Future, meet present.