CS Northridge Basketball Fans Still MIA

Cal State Northridge has a student population of 31,000 and the surrounding quad-valley community numbers two million, so it was disappointing to see only 600 spectators show up for the school’s Division I basketball debut last month in Matador Gymnasium.

The second home game, at the end of finals week, drew 368. The third home game, held Wednesday with school out of session, attracted 433.

The band, the cheerleaders and the Matamaniacs--male students dressed in costumes and war paint--tried to make up for the lack of numbers with enthusiasm.

Attendance, however, has increased from an average of 353 last season to 467, and season-ticket sales have increased from 14 to 72, but the disparity in attendance average between home games and road--a difference of 4,125--gives the program a not-ready-for-prime-time feel.

Only Brooklyn College and Colgate of the 292 Division I schools drew less last season than CSUN is currently drawing. Four other schools attracted less than 500 per game.

With such a large student and community population from which to draw, it is puzzling that Northridge plays before a crowd that takes up less than one-sixth of its 3,000-seat gymnasium.

An informal on-campus poll revealed that the typical CSUN student believes he or she is too busy with school, commuting and work to attend basketball games.

Freshmen Frank Ramirez and Armando Donoso are representative of the part-time commuting student.

“We live in Los Angeles and we just come down here for class Tuesday and Thursday and then go back home,” Ramirez said.

At Roosevelt High, both teen-agers attended games to see their friends, but they do not view CSUN games as social events and admit that they lack school spirit.

Sophomore Persephone Lowery said she went to a couple of games last season, but she has not seen the Matadors play this season.

Lowery, a biology major, works at the campus ice cream store and runs for the track team.

“When I get home I want to study and relax,” said Lowery, who lives two blocks from the campus.

If the Matadors (3-8) were a winning team, Lowery said she might find time in her schedule for them.

Charlene Szymusiak, 33, is representative of the older CSUN student. She does not attend basketball games either. Szmyusiak, of San Fernando, is married, has one child and six classes.

“I don’t eat TV dinners,” she said. “You have to choose the things you want to do. My husband and I used to go to University of Illinois games. There was more of a feeling of belonging.

“What you see in Los Angeles is non-connectedness. There’s no difference in football games in Illinois or here, except for the community.

“This is just a different community. It’s not commuting, because people commuted at Illinois too.”

Szymusiak does take part in a political science club that protests issues, such as the cutting back of library hours, but she says those activities also lack participation.

“People would rather have a good time than think about what might be happening in society,” she said. “I think overall the school does not have participation and sports is just a part of that.”

Like Szymusiak, senior Russell Spurlock has never been to a basketball game at Northridge.

“I’m not really interested, though I do follow them in the paper,” he said. “I just don’t think the team is very talented or exciting. They don’t have anyone I’ve ever heard of.”

Spurlock said that even though he is curious about the new Division I competition, rather than watch the Matadors he will drive to Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers games from Thousand Oaks.

“I do wonder why more people don’t go,” CSUN cheerleader Mindy Lemont said. “I think there’s a lack of knowledge about when the games are.”

When informed that the athletic promotions department posts 50 signs around campus on game days, she said: “I’ve never seen one. If people don’t know they don’t go.”

Junior Joe Herrera blames the low attendance figures on commuting and the absence of school spirit. If the Matadors were 9-2 he might find his way to the east side of campus, however.

“That would make a difference,” Herrera said. “So would advertising. I don’t know when the games are.”

One misconception is that the Matadors are worse than their record--only one student, Lemont, knew that they are undefeated at home.

“Some students keep saying we never win,” said Kit Young, a senior who doesn’t go to games because of his studies, his on-campus job and the fact that his friends don’t go.

“If I wanted to go,” he said. “I’d go with friends, I wouldn’t go by myself.”

Sam Lagana, Northridge’s promotions and marketing director, is not concerned by the attendance figures.

“They are up from last year, we are winning at home and people are beginning to notice that,” he said. “If they come out and start to believe in us, it’ll help the kids believe in themselves and the program will prosper.”

What dismays Lagana is that four of CSUN’s 11 home games, including tonight’s game at 8 against Weber State, are being played while students are on holiday break.

“It is a concern, but we have an area of two million to draw from,” he said. “We haven’t had allegiance to this university because it has never competed against teams people have heard of. The name recognition is eventually going to enhance the draw.”

Lagana’s efforts to boost attendance include giving away free tickets to restaurants and corporations in the San Fernando, Simi, Conejo and Santa Clarita valleys for distribution to their customers, clients and employees.

There is also a pass program that provides complimentary tickets to nonprofit groups.

Other promotions include a painter’s cap giveaway to the first 250 spectators at the Feb. 8 game against Boise State and a military night Feb. 16 when 500 service people from Port Hueneme Naval Construction Battalion Center are expected to attend the game.

To bolster Northridge’s name recognition, Lagana has supplied sports bars in the area with CSUN sports paraphernalia such as helmets, jerseys and pennants.

In an effort to familiarize people with the moniker, Matador, he is asking Little League and Pop Warner teams in the four valleys to call themselves Matadors.

The price is right for Northridge basketball. Students are admitted free and children under 11, faculty, staff and seniors citizens pay only $3. General admission is $4 and reserved seats are $5. Season tickets are $50 for reserved and $40 for general admission.

By comparison, Cal State Fullerton charges $4 for children aged 3 to 17, and $8 for general admission. Reserved season tickets are $112.

“For a reasonable price we’re looking to deliver a whole show where there is no down time,” Lagana said. “No. 1, we have the team, No. 2, the band and No. 3, college enthusiasm.

We want people to say ‘Yes, I enjoyed a good game’ and instill that enthusiasm in others and return for another game.

“If people would stop knocking the university long enough to have a little pride in it we would see a lot more enthusiasm on this campus. There’s so much allegiance to other universities, they’d rather stand with the parade than on their own.”

It is difficult to envision a sold-out Matador Gymnasium this season, but the infectious Lagana is making strides.

From this vantage, it would be progress if just the lifelong UCLA and USC fans who happen to be CSUN students or alumni can find some room on their activity calendar for Northridge and its fledgling Division I athletic programs.