BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — It was a special night at Memorial Stadium as Bakersfield College closed out its regular season against College of the Canyons - and celebrated one of the most memorable seasons in program history.
Fifty years ago, the Bakersfield College Renegades made history, winning the 1976 Junior Rose Bowl championship. On Saturday night, some of those same players returned to Memorial Stadium to celebrate that accomplishment.
Among them was Michael Georgino, who said walking back into the stadium brought back memories.
"It's amazing, the experience. You walk in the stadium, it was like yesterday, but 50 years is a long time," Georgino said.
Georgino remembers playing in front of crowds of more than 18,000 fans. That legacy is something Bakersfield College Athletic Director Lynn Kennedy said the school continues to celebrate. This year also marks the program's 100th football season, making the return of its former champions even more meaningful.
"One of the reasons why I'm here is all the tradition and the history, not only of football, but all the sports here at BC. So just to celebrate, anytime we can celebrate 100 seasons of football like this year or the 50th year of the '76 team," Kennedy said.
While the Renegades honored their past, the current team had something important to play for. Bakersfield College secured the win 40-21 and is expected to play in a bowl game for the first time since 2024.
The team ends the regular season on a four-game winning streak and an overall record of 6-4.
Fifty years after his own championship season, Georgino said his pride in the program hasn't changed.
"Very proud to be proud to be a renegade, ex-renegade, and it's the greatest junior college football in the world," Georgino said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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