Jim Ricketts - Inducted 2017

The Sioux Falls man was an official in South Dakota for 39 years for football, basketball and baseball.

The Ames (Iowa) High and University of Wyoming grad also officiated six years in Colorado and Wyoming before coming to South Dakota. He worked 49 prep football playoff games and four state football finals. He also refereed college football and high school and college basketball as well as umpiring amateur, college and Legion baseball.

In 1991 and again in 2007 he was named South Dakota's outstanding football official by the National Federation of High School Officials Association.

He received the Distinguished Service Award from the South Dakota High School Activities Association in 2006, and in 2007 he was named the South Dakota Coaches Association's Official of the Year. Among his numerous honors is the Steve Withorne Memorial Award from the South Dakota Sports Officials' Association for outstanding contributions and endless dedication to promote the development of officials. The Doug Koester Memorial Award was presented to Ricketts in 2009 by the South Dakota Officials Association for outstanding officiating and many social and community services.

Ricketts, along with Orrin Anderson, started and remains involved in the Sioux Empire Football Officials Clinic, which provides officials for the summer high school team camp sponsored by Augustana University and Sanford Hospital. It is one of the best officials clinics in the Midwest and is attended by officials from coast to coast.

He has been a volunteer at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays for the past 37 years and was named the meet's Honorary Referee in 2016. He also has helped with state and regional track meets as well as high school and university events.

He is a member of the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Umpires Hall of Fame.

He competed in football, basketball and track in high school, and he played football at Wyoming.