Cal State Long Beach Changes Plan, Rescues Track Program

Cal State Long Beach’s track and field program, which was to have been suspended June 30, will be retained.

It was also announced Friday that women’s gymnastics and women’s soccer would lose varsity status.

A month ago, the university announced that track and field would be suspended to reduce expenses in the financially troubled athletic department.

But the Long Beach athletic picture has brightened because a $719,000 deficit in the scholarship fund is scheduled to be eliminated with university money by June 30.

The university has agreed to a request by track and field Coach Ralph Lindeman that his six scholarships not be cut.

“We are definitely keeping the scholarship level,” Steve Holton, associate athletic director, said Friday. But Holton said that they may be cut by $3,000 or $4,000 over the next couple of years, a reduction that he expects to be offset by increased fund-raising.

Holton also said that Lindeman’s salary would not be cut, although there will be a reduction in the salaries of the two assistant coaches.