AZTECS NOTEBOOK : SDSU Wins On-Campus Arena Battle

After four years of planning, dreaming, hoping and scheming, the San Diego State athletic department will be doing something else in regard to the on-campus Student Activities’ Center.

Building.

A Friday ruling by the 4th District Court of Appeal threw out arguments from neighborhood groups protesting the project and now, barring any other work stoppages, SDSU hopes to break ground by mid-August.

The Aztecs are thrilled.

“We’re excited,” said John Wadas, senior associate athletic director. “It is positive news for us. We felt confident going in, but you never know.”

Students approved the center in 1988, but the project has been mired in legalities ever since. SDSU had to pass on playing host to the 1992 Western Athletic Conference post-season basketball tournament because ground still hadn’t been broken.

SDSU intends to build on the site now occupied by Aztec Bowl and, although the project centers around the arena, it will also include a recreation facility with locker rooms, offices, weight training facilities and classrooms.

Although the Aztecs are relieved, the project could have had better timing from the public’s perception. With the state budget being cut so much, with SDSU eliminating departments such as Russian and anthropology last month, and with the school’s athletic department eliminating programs such as golf and men’s track, the $38 million project has grabbed almost too much attention.

“They’re totally not related,” Wadas protested, referring to the state budget and SDSU’s arena. “(The arena’s) funds are not under scrutiny . . . we appropriated those funds for a designated product.

“This facility is going to be an enhancement to this campus.”

Although nothing is official, it is a longshot that Tony Clark will return to the SDSU basketball team next fall.

Clark is currently in Lakeland, Fla., at the Detroit Tigers’ extended spring training camp and will then report to single-A Niagara Falls on June 7. A Detroit source says that, since Clark impressed Manager Sparky Anderson during a batting practice session when the Tigers were in Anaheim in mid-May, the Tigers have resumed strong efforts to entice Clark to drop basketball and concentrate on baseball.

Clark, who is attempting to overcome a herniated disk in his back, had a long talk with new SDSU basketball Coach Tony Fuller last week before leaving for Florida.

“He said that things depend on how his baseball career goes,” Fuller said. “If baseball goes well, he said he will probably concentrate on baseball. It depends on how things go. He’s going to keep his options open.”

Although it seems to leave the Aztec basketball team in limbo, there is not much Fuller can do until September.

“It’s something we’re prepared for,” Fuller said. “What can you do? You just have to wish the best for him and move on.”

The Aztec basketball team has finally given out its second scholarship--to Chris Walters, a 6-foot-3 guard from Antelope Valley Community College who also played one season at Texas El Paso.

Walters averaged 17.6 points, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game for Antelope Valley last year and was named to the all-Foothill Conference team.

“I liked his overall play,” Fuller said. “He’s adept in all phases of the game and he’s a fine young man. He’s pretty athletic and he plays hard.”

As a freshman at UTEP, Walters played in 23 games, averaging 0.7 points. He is known as a good defensive player.

Walters joins Lincoln High’s Berry Randle as the second player awarded a scholarship by SDSU this spring.

Fuller said he was also informed by Bart Brandenburg that Brandenburg will not return to the team next year.

The go-ahead on the SAC means that it is only a matter of time until SDSU officials make a formal announcement that the basketball team will play home games in Peterson Gym until the on-campus facility is built.

It is expected that the basketball team will play in Peterson Gym for two seasons.

“All indications are that we are moving in that direction,” Wadas said.

Part of the reason the Aztecs haven’t made it official yet is because they need to re-vamp Peterson Gym--basically a glorified high school facility--and still have contracts out to bleacher people, lighting people and concessionaires, among others. Once those are settled, Peterson Gym will be a done deal.

“I think it’s got some pluses,” Fuller said. “Home-court advantage, the fans and students will be able to walk to games, we play where we practice. Obviously, it will be easier to fill it up.

“It will be loud, noisy, crazy; a real college basketball atmosphere.”

And if you’re wondering how the rest of the WAC will feel about playing in the tiny, 3,668-seat gymnasium, WAC Commissioner Joe Kearney said that SDSU can do what it wants.

“That’s a local option,” Kearney said. “The institution makes its own choice of playing on or off campus. It’s up to the institutions--they have to make a business judgment and make a judgment on facilities.

“We have never dictated to schools where they must play.”

Bill Erickson, SDSU vice president for business and financial affairs, confirmed that the school’s buyout of former basketball coach Jim Brandenburg’s contract was approximately $83,772--a lump sum of $70,272 (one year’s salary) plus about $13,500 as compensation for accrued vacation time. While the school refused to release the figures at first, citing confidentiality relating to personnel matters, lawyers for the San Diego Union-Tribune argued that the figures should be released in accordance with the California Public Records Act.

Now, the school must decide what to do with former football coach Denny Stolz, whose contract runs two more years. Stolz was reassigned to the position of golf coach, but golf was eliminated two weeks ago. SDSU can either reassign Stolz to another position or negotiate a buy-out.

“Right now, we’re looking at reassignment,” Erickson said.

SDSU forward Courtie Miller had knee surgery for the second time on May 22. This time, doctors cleaned out some scar tissue from the first surgery. Miller said he should be ready in time to participate in Los Angeles summer league play.

The Aztecs, after eliminating men’s track, wrestling and men’s and women’s golf two weeks ago, were joined in the budget-cutting department this week when Colorado State announced this week that it is eliminating baseball and softball.

“That didn’t surprise us at all,” Wadas said. “We heard it was going to happen last year.

“We’re not lone rangers. I think people locally think this is just our problem, but it’s not. This is a nationwide thing going on, and you’re going to see more seven and seven programs that meet the minimum Division I standards.”

SDSU still has not completed the other $100,000 worth of cuts it will make in the department. Wadas said that may not be done until sometime in July.

There will be a realignment among three of SDSU’s associate athletic directors by July.

Wadas, the current executive director of the Aztec Athletic Foundation (AAF), will take charge of NCAA compliance. Don Kaverman will move from compliance to business affairs.