What Is 1968 Long Beach State 49ers football

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Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1968 Long Beach State 49ers football team represented California State University, Long Beach during the 1968 NCAA College Division season, finishing with a 5–5 record under head coach Don Reed. The team played its home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium and was part of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA).

Key Facts

The 1968 Long Beach State 49ers football team had a 5–5 overall record
Head coach Don Reed led the team during the 1968 season
Home games were played at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, CA
The team competed in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA)
The 49ers scored 198 total points during the 1968 season

Overview

The 1968 Long Beach State 49ers football team represented California State University, Long Beach during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. Competing as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), the team was led by head coach Don Reed in his fifth year at the helm.

The 49ers played their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium, a 15,000-seat venue in Long Beach, California. The 1968 season marked a transitional period for the program, which had begun varsity competition in 1955 and was building toward greater regional prominence.

Record: The 1968 Long Beach State 49ers finished the season with a 5–5 overall record, marking one of the few years with a balanced win-loss tally in the program’s early history.
Conference affiliation: The team competed in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), which later evolved into the Big West Conference, a key league for California-based programs.
Head coach:Don Reed served as head coach from 1964 to 1968, compiling a 26–27–1 record before stepping down after the 1968 season.
Scoring: The 49ers scored 198 total points across 10 games, averaging 19.8 points per game, a modest offensive output for the era.
Home stadium: Veterans Memorial Stadium, located in downtown Long Beach, served as the team’s home field and hosted all five of their home games during the 1968 season.

Season Performance

The 1968 campaign featured a mix of competitive wins and narrow losses, reflecting the team’s mid-tier standing in the College Division. Games were played primarily against regional opponents, many of which were fellow PCAA members or California-based programs.

Opening game: The 49ers began the season with a 20–14 victory over Cal Poly on September 14, 1968, setting a positive tone for the year.
Conference record: In PCAA play, Long Beach State went 2–3, finishing in the middle of the seven-team conference standings.
Key win: A 21–14 win over UC Santa Barbara on November 9, 1968, helped secure a .500 season and boosted morale.
Defensive performance: The defense allowed 197 total points, nearly matching the offense, highlighting a tightly contested season.
Final game: The season concluded with a 28–7 loss to Cal State Los Angeles on November 23, 1968, ending on a down note.
Roster size: The team roster included approximately 40–45 players, typical for a College Division program at the time.

Comparison at a Glance

Comparing the 1968 season to adjacent years reveals trends in performance and coaching stability.

Season	Overall Record	PCAA Record	Head Coach	Points For
1966	6–4	3–2	Don Reed	186
1967	4–6	2–4	Don Reed	172
1968	5–5	2–3	Don Reed	198
1969	3–7	2–4	Jim Stuckey	167
1970	5–5	3–3	Jim Stuckey	191

The table shows that 1968 was a slight improvement over 1967 but preceded a decline in 1969. Don Reed’s final season reflected moderate consistency before his departure, with offensive output peaking in 1968.

Why It Matters

The 1968 season represents a snapshot of Long Beach State football during its formative years, illustrating the challenges and modest successes of a developing program. Though the team never advanced to postseason play during this era, it laid groundwork for future athletic identity.

Program legacy: The 1968 team contributed to the historical continuity of Long Beach State football, which was discontinued in 1991 due to budget constraints.
Coaching transition: Don Reed’s departure after 1968 marked the end of an era, leading to a rebuilding phase under new leadership.
Regional rivalry: Games against Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal State LA helped establish intra-state rivalries that persisted for decades.
Stadium culture: Veterans Memorial Stadium hosted a modest but dedicated fan base, contributing to campus spirit during home games.
Athletic development: The 1968 season reflected Long Beach State’s broader investment in athletics during the 1960s, preceding its rise in sports like baseball and volleyball.
Historical record: The 5–5 record remains a point of reference for retrospective analysis of the program’s competitive balance.

Though overshadowed by later successes in other sports, the 1968 Long Beach State 49ers football season remains a notable chapter in the university’s athletic history, illustrating perseverance and regional competition during a pivotal decade.