SPORTS BRIEFS : New College Football League Discussed

Cal State Long Beach Athletic Director Dave O’Brien was one of 10 representatives from two states who attended a meeting at Cal State Northridge last week to discuss formation of an NCAA Division 1-AA football conference.

Cal State Long Beach discontinued its 1-A football program last year, but university President Curtis L. McCray said he is willing to review any plan to revive the program as long as it offers “cost containment.”

The new league reportedly would allow only five scholarships per recruiting class. Because nine of the 10 colleges are in California, travel expenses would be kept to a minimum. Agreement on the number of scholarships to allow was tabled until March, as was a decision on the number of paid assistant coaches each school could employ.

The league wants to begin play in September of 1993, according to UC Santa Barbara Athletic Director John Kasser, who attended the meeting. O’Brien said CS Long Beach won’t make a decision until the end of the summer.

“We have continued to explore (the possibility of returning to football) in the past few weeks, but for us to (return to football) we will need to know our budget situation and the state budget situation, plus we need to see how much of a reduction occurs in athletic fund raising as a result of the bad economy and our dropping 1-A football,” he said.

Cal State Long Beach guard Trise Jackson has been named Big West Conference player of the week.

Jackson, a 5-foot-6 senior from Lynwood, scored 30 points in a 91-81 women’s basketball victory over Nevada Las Vegas and had a career-high 35 points in a 96-88 victory over New Mexico State. For the week, Jackson made 21 of 28 field-goal attempts and 17 of 20 free throws. She made six of 10 three-point tries and added nine steals.

Cal State Long Beach (13-4 overall, 7-1 in the Big West Conference) shares first place in the league with UC Santa Barbara (14-3, 7-1), which defeated the 49ers, 84-77. The teams will meet again at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Goleta.

The Long Beach Century Club honored several local sports figures at its 36th annual Sports Night Awards Banquet Wednesday at the Golden Sails Hotel.

The annual dinner pays tribute to individuals from Long Beach who have distinguished themselves in athletics during the previous year. More than 125 individual awards were presented.

Among the recipients were Cal State Long Beach volleyball players Brent Hilliard and Antoinnette White, who were named co-athletes of the year. The 49ers won the NCAA men’s title and the women’s team finished second to UCLA.

Other people honored were minor league Coach Tony Muser, who managed Denver to the American Assn. and Little World Series championship, and David Chapman, who is the only player in the country to have won five national junior handball titles. The club also inducted longtime area sports figures Jim Lineberger, Leon Forman and the late Joe Rodgers into its hall of fame.

The La Mirada Athletic Council is sponsoring a free rock ‘n’ roll show to honor volunteers in the area’s youth sports programs.

The event takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Organizers ask that anyone who has served in a volunteer capacity with youth groups call Don Williams at (310) 944-3572, Frank Luna at (310) 947-3647, Peter Dames at (310) 943-4808, Wes Fulmer at (310) 941-0148, Dwight Auslam at (714) 994-0237 or Vince Marchetti at (714) 739-5436 for tickets.

Information also is available at O’Neill’s Sports Shop, 15056 E. Alondra Blvd.

The Belmont Shore men’s rugby club is leading the Red Division of the Southern California Rugby Football Union. Belmont Shore is 11-0 overall and 5-0 in the Red Division.