BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced its Hall of Fame inductee class of 2026. Minnesota State Moorhead men's basketball legend Kevin Mulder is among this year's inductees. Mulder enjoyed one of the most prolific careers by a Dragon from 1976 until his graduation in 1980. 

Kevin Mulder was one of the most prolific scorers in Northern Intercollegiate Conference history and remains one of the top players to compete for Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball. A four-year letterwinner from 1976 to 1980, Mulder earned All-NIC First Team honors three times and was named the league's Most Valuable Player as a senior.

Mulder capped his career as the Dragons' all-time leading scorer with 1,797 points, a mark that still ranks among the program's best. He also totaled 1,016 points in conference play, the third-most in NIC history at the time and was one of the first players in league history to surpass 1,000 career points. He averaged 20.3 points per game as a senior and finished his career with a .678 winning percentage, helping MSU Moorhead to two 20-win seasons and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament in 1980.

An NAIA honorable mention All-American, Mulder was also a three-time team Most Valuable Player and ranked second in program history with 728 made field goals at the time of his graduation. He excelled in the classroom as well, earning Academic All-American honors and receiving the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Mulder was inducted into the Dragon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. 

Following his collegiate career, Mulder earned a master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado and went on to become a longtime business owner. He has remained a dedicated supporter of Dragon men's basketball since graduation. He and his wife Michelle live in St. Cloud, Minnesota and have three children and eight grandchildren.

The induction ceremony will be held Tuesday, July 7 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington-Minneapolis South as part of the annual NSIC Summer Kickoff event.  A social will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 6:00 p.m.  Reserve your tickets for the banquet by visiting https://northernsun.org/HOFBanquet and filling out the online Hall of Fame Banquet Registration Form.  Registrations are due no later than July 1, as space is limited for this event.

The class of 2026 includes: Sheena Devine, Bemidji State University, Kayla Koenecke, Concordia University, St. Paul; Mike Thorson, University of Mary; Kevin Mulder, Minnesota State University Moorhead; Michelle (Bruns) Kirk, Southwest Minnesota State University; Heather Miller-Koch, St. Cloud State University, Troy Pribnow, Wayne State College; and Tom Sawyer, Winona State University.

Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC - the former men's conference) Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league.  For the first two inductions (1986 and 1990) each selection hailed from the NIC.  In 1992, the Northern Sun Conference (NSC - the former women's conference) and the NIC merged, creating the current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  After annual inductions since 2000, the NSIC Hall of Fame will now boast over 238 members and three teams.

Each NSIC institution (who has been a league member for at least ten years) is asked to submit one candidate for consideration for induction into the Hall of Fame. Each of the candidates are derived from individuals who have been affiliated with the NSIC, NIC, NSC and their member institutions.

In order to be eligible for the NSIC Hall of Fame, candidates must have made their contributions in one of the following areas: 1) former student-athletes, 2) administrator/coach, 3) official/supervisor/coordinator, 4) contributor/supporter, or 5) team. The conference provides two plaques; one of which will go to the inductee and one to the institution represented.  A history of each inductee will be kept in the NSIC Office and each institution will prominently display the plaques of their respective NSIC Hall of Fame inductees.