CS Northridge Seeks Name Recognition : Publicity: Athletic department hopes to blot out CSUN in favor of a more identifiable label.

Several years ago, a young reporter took a college baseball score over the phone. This is how it wound up in the paper: Sea-Sun 4, Cal Santa Barbara 2.

Sea-Sun?

Actually, what was meant was CSUN, as in California State University, Northridge.

Such cases of mistaken identity prompted Northridge Athletic Director Bob Hiegert to emphasize spelling out Cal State Northridge on first reference.

With the move to Division I this fall, Hiegert is increasing that emphasis throughout the athletic department, particularly on press releases and media guides.

“CSUN has really been embedded in the residents of the Valley and the people in the immediate area,” Hiegert said. “But on a national front, when our scores are printed, CSUN needs to be explained. It could be Colorado State or Connecticut State.

“We certainly don’t want to lose the image of CSUN to the local people, but out of the Los Angeles area we need to emphasize that we are from California, that it is a state school, and that it is in Northridge.”

To that end, home uniforms that already have “CSUN” on the lettering will retain that label, but road uniforms will be changed. Northridge, or the team nickname, Matadors, will be stitched in.

“We’re playing a whole different set of schools now,” Sports Information Director Barry Smith said. “We’re going to be voted on in polls by coaches and media and they have to understand our name.

“We’re still using CSUN. We’re just trying to get Cal State out, and the words California and Northridge. We’re simply trying to improve our visibility nationally.”

A new logo is also under consideration for the sports information department. It intertwines an illustration of a matador with the words Cal State Northridge.

Currently, one logo has the words CSUN without the matador and another portrays a silhouette matador without any lettering.

“Not many schools have the matador as a mascot so we’d like that to catch on,” Smith said. “Northridge and Matador are the keys for us nationally.”

The word Northridge is certainly prominent in the gym following a recent paint job. Behind both baselines, it is printed in large letters. The tipoff circle at half-court still reads “CSUN,” but the letters are placed on an angle that makes them easier for fans to read and television cameras to display.

Another point of re-emphasis regarding names involves CSUN’s women’s athletic teams. Lady Matadors, which was unofficially adopted to describe those teams, will no longer be used.

“We don’t think that’s correct to separate with gender labels,” Smith said. “As far as we’re concerned it is Matadors. We want all our athletes referred to as Matadors.

“We don’t want the athletic experience to be any different for male or female athletes because of a label.”

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT BUDGET PROJECTION (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) EXPENDITURES

Type 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 Salaries (1) 1,328.7 1,520.0 1,671.8 1,780.1 1,860.3 Benefits 330.0 397.3 437.0 465.3 486.3 Supplies/ 714.2 776.0 816.5 859.3 904.5 Services (2) Equipment 30.0 13.3 14.0 14.7 15.4 Recruiting 35.0 50.0 52.5 55.1 57.9 Travel 301.0 380.0 397.6 360.7 377.3 Telephone 33.0 34.3 35.7 37.1 38.6 Grants 441.4 494.3 545.3 599.2 618.0 Services-in-kind 40.0 45.0 50.0 55.0 60.0 Total 3,253.3 3,710.2 4,020.4 4,226.5 4,418.3

FUNDING SOURCES

Source of Funds 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 General Fund (1) 1,584.8 1,732.6 1,835.7 1,929.8 2,016.8 IRA (4) 514.0 550.4 558.2 566.7 577.0 Associated Students 237.0 241.6 245.3 249.2 254.0 Athletic Revenues (3) 650.8 753.4 871.9 923.8 973.5 Gifts-in-kind 40.0 45.0 50.0 55.0 60.0 Special needs 16.7 17.4 18.1 18.8 19.6 Foundation 210.0 369.0 441.0 475.0 500.0 Total 3,253.3 3,709.4 4,020.2 4,218.3 4,400.9

(1) Includes adjustments for projected cost-of-living increases and merit-salary adjustments. (2) Includes such items as general supplies, contracts, insurance, printing, film, maintenance, etc. (3) Includes such items as gate receipts, season tickets, concessions, guarantees, major gifts and donations, radio and television, etc. (4) Instructional-related activities