Pro Football Hall of Fame 2016: Date, Start Time, TV Info and More

Alan Faneca, Brett Favre and Terrell Owens enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame fray as first-year eligible nominees this Saturday when the voting begins ahead of Super Bowl 50.

It's fitting that those three historic figures step into the spotlight in the hopes of somewhat breaking up the logjam of names waiting to get in at such a historic anniversary for the league and its globe-spanning spectators.

Back in January, the NFL took a look at some of the finalists:

With 18 finalists vying to get a bust and cap off legendary journeys, observers will want to set aside time to watch what might be one of the most complicated Hall of Fame votes in quite a long time.

Event Details 

When: Saturday, February 6 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco

TV: NFL Network 

The 2016 class boasts 15 modern-era finalists. Other than the first-year guys mentioned, Morten Andersen, Terrell Davis, Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison, John Lynch and Kurt Warner stick out as top names.

Joining them to make it 18 legends vying for a bust are two senior finalists, quarterback Ken Stabler and guard Dick Stanfel, as well as contributor finalist Edward DeBartolo, Jr., former owner of the San Francisco 49ers.

Here's the full list:

Modern-Era Finalists	Position/Role	Years Active
Morten Andersen	Kicker	1982-2004
Steve Atwater	Safety	1989-1999
Don Coryell	Coach	1973-1986
Terrell Davis	Running Back	1995-2001
Tony Dungy	Coach	1996-2008
Alan Faneca	Guard	1998-2010
Brett Favre	Quarterback	1991-2010
Kevin Greene	Linebacker	1985-1999
Marvin Harrison	Wide Receiver	1996-2008
Joe Jacoby	Tackle	1981-1993
Edgerrin James	Running Back	1999-2009
John Lynch	Free Safety	1993-2007
Terrell Owens	Wide Receiver	1996-2010
Orlando Pace	Tackle	1997-2009
Kurt Warner	Quarterback	1998-2009
Senior Finalists	Position/Role	Years Active
Ken Stabler	Quarterback	1970-1984
Dick Stanfel	Guard	1952-1958
Contributor Finalists	Position/Role	Years Active
Edward DeBartolo Jr.	Owner	1977-2000

To avoid any confusion as to how the voting process works, the NFL broke down the process, which includes a maximum of five modern-era inductees with the other three categories eligible to all enter together:

"

Although there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's current ground rules stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected each year. No more than five Modern-Era Finalists can be elected in a given year and thus a class of six, seven, or eight can only be achieved if the Contributor Finalist and/or one or both of the Senior Finalists are elected.

"

A 46-person selection committee holds the weight of picking the class. For the possible entrants, an 80 percent minimum gets them over the proverbial hump and into the Hall of Fame. 

As the MMQB's Peter King explained it, the voters cut the candidates from 15 to 10, then shave off five more before a yes-or-no process on the final five.

Let the debate begin.

Well, there isn't much debate around Favre. He's the one and only lock in this class, the iron man with legendary numbers and feats, including going to the Super Bowl in 1996 and 1997 with the Green Bay Packers.

After Favre, chaos.

Maybe the most popular debate will center on Owens against Harrison. If the committee had to pick one, who goes? The numbers:

	REC	YDS	TD
Terrell Owens	1078	15,934	153
Marvin Harrison	1102	14,580	128

Harrison, the quiet leader who played with Peyton Manning and redefined route running, against Owens, the vocal, sit-ups-in-the-driveway wideout who bounced around the league but put on some of the top performances in history.

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post brought up the one performance most voters will consider when weighing Owens' chances:

"

Terrell Owens' 9-122 on a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain will always be one of the most courageous and impressive SB performances.

— Bart Hubbuch (@BartHubbuch) January 31, 2016"

It doesn't get any easier even after the committee picks perhaps just a single wideout.

Is this the year when pass-rushing monster Kevin Greene gets in? He's only ranked third all-time in sacks with 160 since 1999, after all. What about Lynch, one of the game's greatest enforcers at safety?

Don't even sleep on Andersen, a kicker who just so happens to be the league's all-time leading scorer.

Alongside Harrison, Davis, the key part of the Denver Broncos' key postseason pushes, is on his third and perhaps best chance at getting a bust.

Dungy and legendary tackle Orlando Pace, not to mention the ultimate underdog story—Warner—all have something to say about the probable three slots after a quarterback and wideout get checks next to their names.

Like most years, the logjam won't give much even if five modern finalists make it through. This year looks especially difficult on the committee, making for a historic occasion as the globe gets set to enshrine five or more legends.

As a celebration of 50 years and a glance toward the future should, the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame honors the figures who have shaped the game the most in front of a global audience on Saturday.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of February 5. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.