On Saturday September 16, Butler Athletics inducted the Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The class includes seven accomplished individuals and the undefeated 1959-1960 Women's Basketball team. 

The Class of 2023 includes Lade Akande (women's basketball), Paul Romanowski (football), Ben Sippola (men's soccer), Gerald Strole (baseball, football and men's basketball), and the 1959-60 women's basketball team. Dr. Tom Fischer, Lou Jenkins and Jim Lill will be inducted as Special Service Award honorees for their long-standing work with Butler Athletics; Fischer and Lill were also football student-athletes at Butler.

At the time of her graduation in 2009, Akande was in the Top 10 among Butler women's basketball student-athletes in 12 categories. Her 1,705 career points are second in Butler history. She is just the second player in school history to record more than 1,500 points, 700 rebounds and 100 blocks in her career. Akande was named to the All-Horizon League first team in 2007-08, while twice earning second-team accolades. She received the 2006 Pop Hedden Award as Butler's most outstanding freshman student-athlete.
 
Romanowski is a 1992 Butler graduate. The quarterback led the Bulldogs to a 9-2 record, a conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1991. He was the conference Player of the Year that season. His 2,214 passing yards during the 1991 season and his single-game high of 384 against Hillsdale that season remain among the top performances in Butler program history.
 
Sippola, a 2011 graduate, led the Bulldogs to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances during his time as a member of the men's soccer program. He finished his senior season by being named an NSCAA first-team All-American, a first-team Academic All-America selection, and as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Award. Leading the Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season record, he was named both Horizon League Player of the Year and Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year. He was also selected as the MVP of the 2010 Horizon League Tournament. Voted as both a first-team All-Region and All-Horizon League honoree during the 2010 season, his nine assists during the campaign remain among Butler's Top 10 for a single season.
 
Gerald Strole was a three-sport star at Butler, graduating in 1926. During his time on campus, he was part of successful baseball, football and men's basketball programs. He combined to earn nine varsity letters in the three sports and a trophy commemorating Gerald and his teammates as members of the 1923-24 basketball collegiate national champions is displayed in the south concourse trophy case. Both the banner and team photo are also featured inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The 1959-60 women's basketball team posted an undefeated season going 13-0 that included wins over Purdue, Indiana State and Ball State. Coached by Barbara Drinkwater and Xandra Hamilton, the Bulldogs averaged 57.2 points per game while allowing on 36.0 to their opponents. Their team photo is displayed in the west concourse of Hinkle Fieldhouse.
 
Dr. Fischer has served as a Butler Team Physician since 1987. His focus with Butler student-athletes is hand and upper extremity conditions. Dr. Fischer is the former department chairman of hand surgery at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital and Health Services. He has served Butler University as a member of the board of trustees since 2004. A 1975 graduate of Butler, Dr. Fischer was a football letterwinner during his undergraduate time on campus and helped lead his team to three consecutive Indiana Collegiate Conference championships.
 
Lou Jenkins has supported Butler Athletics as a longtime season ticket holder, donor, and has served as the chairman of the annual Basketball Tip-Off Dinner Committee. He is the originator of this event which is entering its sixteenth year. Lou continues to serve and grow this event that unofficially begins the men's and women's basketball seasons each year. Beginning his career as a successful entrepreneur after graduating from Indiana University, Lou went on to become a top producer for Merrill Lynch for over 38 years.

Jim is a Butler graduate who was a three-time letter winner in football for Coach Tony Hinkle. An executive in the insurance industry, he formed Mid American Group, Inc., in 1988 (which was later re-branded to Axion RMS, Ltd., in 2015). He was elected to the Butler Board of Trustees in 2008 and served until 2016 (being named emeritus in 2018). He is a member of Butler's Carillon Society and Cornerstone Society and served as chairman (and chairman emeritus) for the Davey Program, which funds Butler's Risk Management and Insurance program. 
 
The Butler University Athletic Hall of Fame seeks to suitably recognize alumni and others who, through outstanding performance and achievement in the field of athletics and have brought special honor to Butler University. Selection is based on how each candidate fared against the best possible regional and national competition of his or her era and distinguished ambassadors for their exceptional service to Butler University.