Athletics Reported to Bring $3 Million Annually to Area JCs : Board Staff’s Study Appears to Save Sports Programs From Elimination

Intercollegiate athletic programs generate more than $3 million annually for Los Angeles community colleges, according to a staff report presented at the district board meeting Wednesday.

The findings of the study make the elimination of athletics in the nine-college district unlikely, according to district spokesman Norm Schneider.

The district had been considering the elimination of its athletic programs as a means of cutting $6.8 million from its proposed $180-million budget. The cutback is the result of declining enrollment and an Oct. 15 deadline to repay a $5-million loan from the county.

But after more than two hours of discussion on the cost-effectiveness of the programs, followed by another half hour of public testimony, it appears that the district’s athletic programs will be maintained.

“Based on discussion at the meeting, it is unlikely that the board will take any action regarding the elimination of intercollegiate athletics,” said Schneider.

He did not rule out the possibility of budget cuts in the programs in light of the district’s fiscal dilemma.

“If anything does happen, it won’t be because the district doubts the viability of its athletic programs,” Schneider said. “It would be because the board was forced to make some very difficult decisions.”

Repayment of the loan from the county is the district’s principal concern. It had asked the state for a $5-million loan to pay the county, but Gov. George Deukmejian rejected the bid.

As a result, Dr. Monroe Richman, the newly elected board president and an Encino physician, requested the financial analysis of the district’s athletic programs.

The final decision on athletic budgets will not be made until the district makes the necessary cuts to meet expenses. The next board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21.

But the findings of the district-commissioned study seem to rule out the elimination of athletic programs, or even severe cutbacks.

According to the report, the total cost for the athletic budgets of its nine schools was $1,586,107 in the 1984-85 school year. The income generated by athletes, based on the two academic units they take as team members, was $844,579--a net loss of $741,528.

That figure, however, does not take into consideration that athletes are required to enroll in 12 units a semester to meet eligibility standards.

The adjusted income from athletes, based on 12 units, was $5,067,471--a net profit of $3,481,364.

According to Bob O’Connor, athletic director at Pierce College and one of seven public speakers at the board meeting, that figure is a low estimate.

“It doesn’t take into consideration that some student-athletes take more than 12 units a semester, or that they have to take at least 12 units the following semester to remain eligible,” O’Connor said.

He said the actual income from athletics could be closer to $8 million with those two adjustments made in the analysis.

The state pays the district $2,599 for every 15 units in which students enroll.

At Pierce, the income from athletics based on one-semester enrollment for its athletes produced a net profit of $1,312,732. The figures at Valley showed a profit of $1,144,170.

The two schools had the highest net gains in the the district. The average income gain, according to O’Connor, was closer to $500,000 at the other seven district colleges.

“We knew we were making money, but we didn’t know how much,” O’Connor said. “This clarified in everyone’s mind what really happens.

“When the board saw the cost effectiveness of athletics, plus the fact that we are taking kids in their formative years and keeping them in college until they find themselves, it opened a lot of eyes. Athletics are doing everything the board wants to see happen.”

In addition to the report, seven men with backgrounds in community college sports spoke in support of maintaining the district’s athletic programs.

Among those addressing the board was Marv Dunphy, a former Calabasas resident and coach of the U. S Olympic volleyball team. Dunphy attended Pierce before transfering to Pepperdine and becoming an All-American volleyball player.

Dunphy testified on his own experiences in community college athletics and the significance of the programs at the national level. On the Olympic volleyball team, he said 12 players, two coaches and a trainer had all come through community college programs.

George Goff, athletic director at Valley College, also spoke.

“Athletics belong in the curriculum,” O’Connor said. “It has not only the obvious physical values and of cooperation and competition, but it’s also a great place to set goals and work hard to achieve them.

“If they can learn that lesson, they can bring it into an English class, the work field or even a marriage.”

The district apparently agrees. Although the programs are still subject to budget cuts, the newly discovered cost effectiveness of athletics may be a permanent savior.

“It looks very positive,” O’Connor said. “I think we’re safe now.”