Cal Lutheran Makes Strides Toward Joining SCIAC

Cal Lutheran has cleared its first hurdle to becoming a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

SCIAC athletic directors voted this week to accept Cal Lutheran into its ranks, The Times has learned. Presidents from the conference’s schools will vote on the proposed move at a later date.

Cal Lutheran is a member of the Division II Western Football Conference in football and belongs to the NAIA District III in other sports.

A move to the 6-school SCIAC would put all Kingsmen athletic teams in the same conference for the first time.

Jerry Miller, Cal Lutheran’s president, said Saturday that the school faculty and board of regents will vote on the proposal later this month.

The object of the move, Miller said, was to bring “overall balance” to CLU’s athletic program.

“The WFC has been a good football conference, but most of the schools are three to 10 times our size,” Miller said.

Miller said that the move might be taken in steps, with non-revenue sports joining the SCIAC as early as 1990, followed in the next year or 2 by the basketball and football teams.