BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Heading into the second year of consideration for the Cal State Bakersfield Athletics Hall of Fame, the pool of nominated Roadrunner student-athletes, coaches, administrators, supporters, and teams continued to grow. The job of the Selection Committee became increasingly more difficult, but they whittled the list down to a select group of honorees who will be enshrined in the CSUB Athletics Hall of Fame late this year.

Comprised of highly-decorated NCAA and professional Champions, national Athlete of the Year honorees, and pioneering leaders who established the dominance of Cal State Bakersfield Athletics, the 2026 class of inductees continues to venerate the best of the best of the `Runners.

CSUB Acting Director of Athletics Sarah Tuohy had this to say about the class of 2026: “The CSUB Athletics Hall of Fame is a living testament to the greatness this university has produced, and this year's class adds another remarkable chapter to that story. These honorees exemplify the pride, perseverance, and excellence that define `Runner Athletics, and their legacies will continue to inspire student-athletes for years to come. It is an honor to celebrate them and the enduring impact they have had on our program.”

Live on KBAK-CBS and FOX 58, Sports Director Greg Kerr will be announcing one member of the 2026 class every night, June 15-19. The first two members of the class are the 1975-76 Wrestling Team and Head Coach Joe Seay (Wrestling).

The Class of 2026 will be formally recognized during the annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, set for Saturday, September 26. Tickets for the induction ceremony will go on sale soon. For sponsorship opportunities and other inquiries, please contact the CSUB Athletics Department at athletics@csub.edu.

Joe Seay (1972-1985)
Wrestling – Coach

Joe Seay’s legacy at CSUB began with the very foundation of Roadrunner wrestling. As the program’s inaugural head coach, Seay joined CSUB for its first season in 1972-73 and spent 12 seasons building the `Runners into one of the nation’s most venerated NCAA Division II programs. Under his leadership, CSUB posted a remarkable 184-55-2 dual record, winning at a .768 clip while capturing seven NCAA Division II National Championships.

Seay’s Roadrunner teams became a national powerhouse, producing 30 individual National Champions and 89 All-Americans during his tenure in Bakersfield. His ability to build a championship culture from the ground up helped establish CSUB wrestling as one of the most successful programs in school history and laid the foundation for decades of `Runner excellence on the mat.

Following his time at CSUB, Seay continued to add to one of the most accomplished coaching careers in collegiate wrestling history. In 1985, he took over at Oklahoma State, where he led the Cowboys to a 114-8-2 record and back-to-back NCAA Division I team championships in 1989 and 1990. With those titles, Seay became the first collegiate wrestling coach to win national team championships at both the Division I and Division II levels.

Seay’s success extended to the international stage as well. He guided Team USA to its first-ever Senior World Freestyle Championship in 1993 and led the Americans to another world title in 1995. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Seay’s wrestlers helped Team USA win the freestyle medal count with five total medals, including three golds. His impact on the sport was recognized in 1998 when he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.

Before his historic collegiate and international coaching career, Seay launched his coaching journey at South Bakersfield High School, where he compiled an extraordinary 177-12-2 record and was named national high school Coach of the Year. From Bakersfield to Stillwater to the world stage, Seay’s career reflected championship leadership at every level.

1975-76 Wrestling Team
Distinguished Team

The 1975-76 Cal State Bakersfield wrestling team secured a landmark place in Roadrunner history by capturing the first National Championship ever won by the CSUB Athletics Department. In just the fourth year of the wrestling program’s existence, Head Coach Joe Seay led the `Runners to the 1976 NCAA Division II National Championship, setting the tone for what would become one of the most dominant eras in CSUB Athletics history.

That championship team featured an impressive group of `Runners, led by three individual National Champions: Dan Houtchens at 150 pounds, Mike Bull at 190 pounds, and heavyweight Bill Van Worth. In total, CSUB produced five All-Americans that season – Dick Molina and Florencio Rocha also placed at NCAAs – showcasing the depth and talent that helped lift the program to the top of Division II wrestling.

The `Runners were also outstanding in dual competition, posting an 18-3 record during the 1975-76 season. Their success included victories over Division I programs such as California, Arizona, Oregon, Stanford, and UCLA, proving that CSUB could compete with and defeat some of the strongest teams in the West.

The 1976 national title did more than make history; it launched a wrestling dynasty. Following that breakthrough championship, CSUB went on to win seven NCAA Division II titles in an eight-year span, finishing second in the only year it did not capture the crown. The program also began competing at the NCAA Division I National Championships in 1977, where the `Runners went on to earn four Top 10 finishes during the late 1970s and early 1980s.