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New York - Convicted felon O.J. Simpson, granted parole by the Nevada Board of Prisons and eligible for release on October 1, remains on the invitation list for the American Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies.
"All Hall of Famers are invited to attend the annual enshrinement," Hall of Fame officials told ESPN when asked if Simpson would be welcome at the ceremonies upon release.
Simpson will still be imprisoned when this year's ceremony is conducted on August 5 at the Hall of Fame facility in Canton, Ohio, but he would be on the 2018 invitation list.
Simpson, 70, was unanimously granted parole on Thursday after serving almost nine years of a 33-year sentence for a 2008 armed robbery conviction.
The Hall of Fame running back was enshrined in 1985, but has not attended enshrinement ceremonies since his own induction that year.
Hall of Fame's bylaws stipulate that only a player's on-field achievements are considered as the criteria for enshrinement, so Simpson's bust remains on display in Canton, Ohio.
Simpson rushed for 11 236 yards over an 11-year NFL career and was the first running back in league history to top 2 000 rushing yards in a season, gaining 2 003 yards in 1973 for the Buffalo Bills - becoming the only player to crack 2 000 rushing yards in a 14-game NFL season.
Simpson has been absent from most NFL circles since he was accused of double murder in 1994. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted in the killings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
