In 1986, Long Beach State athletics inducted the first hall of fame athletes to be remembered for honoring the tradition of LBSU.
This year, seven individuals and one championship team are to be inducted and remembered forever for all they did as a 49er.
The hall of fame induction takes place every other year and is a way for the LBSU athletics program to recognize the athletes who helped sustain the 49er brand.
Vic Cegles, LBSU athletic director, said that students and student athletes come to Long Beach for the brand of a successful athletic program.
“I think it’s really important for the athletics department here at Long Beach State to acknowledge such a great and rich tradition that we have,” Cegles said. “We have such a rich tradition, if you look back at basketball and baseball and all of our Olympic sports and athletes, it’s a pretty special place, and we’re proud to acknowledge the success of these people.”
Many 49er athletes who have been inducted into the hall of fame have had great success as professional athletes. Misty May-Treanor has become one of the most recognizable names in volleyball; Troy Tulowitzki and Jered Weaver are two of 33 Dirtbags who are currently playing in the MLB or minor league affiliates.
Wayne Stickney, a staff support member for the hall of fame, said that the group of people who started the hall of fame decided that the school had something special going on and that they should celebrate the athletes who come through LBSU.
“For us, the hall of fame is very significant,” Stickney said. “It’s a hollowed group of people that we want to celebrate and recognize the contributions they made to the school. It’s an opportunity for us to recognize our greats and to honor tradition.”
The hall of fame committee is made up of seven members who have a connection to LBSU and an extensive amount of athletic knowledge Stickney said.
Former Dirtbag and hall of fame committee chair Jeff Tagliaferri said the process starts with athlete nominations that come in three stages. The athletic department can submit names, then nominations are open to the public where community members can submit anyone they think should be considered. The final stage is the committee bringing people to the discussion table to put on the ballot.
From there, the committee members discuss the statistics of athletes and what they did for the school as well as for their team during their time as a 49er.
To be nominated for the hall of fame the athlete has to have been out of school for at least five years. Stickney said the decision-making process is a lot of dialogue and discussion about what the athletes did during their time as a 49er.
“I think it’s a testament to the athletes when you’re able to recognize people who have put us on the map in athletics,” Tagliaferri said. “When people bring notoriety to their school in their respective sports, I think it’s a big deal that is exciting.”