Academic Senate Votes to Suspend Titan Football : College: Group’s recommendation--which was passed, 27-6, with two abstentions--will be forwarded to school’s Athletics Council.

The Cal State Fullerton Academic Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly supported a recommendation to the Athletics Council that the Titan football program be suspended indefinitely.

The group spent about 90 minutes discussing the athletic department’s projected budget scenarios: a program with Division I-A football, with I-AA cost-containment football or with no football.

The senate then voted, 27-6, with two abstentions, in favor of the recommendation, which will be forwarded to the eight-member Athletics Council.

The Athletics Council is soliciting input on the football matter from campus and community members and will make a recommendation concerning the program to university President Milton Gordon by Monday or Tuesday.

Gordon said he will make a decision on the football program’s fate by the second week of December. If most Academic Senators--and at least one Athletics Council member--had their way, the sport would be eliminated.

Interestingly, Associate Athletic Director Maryalyce Jeremiah, a member of the Academic Senate and Athletics Council, voted in favor of the senate motion. Lee Gilbert and Joyce Flocken, also members of the senate and Athletics Council, abstained.

“It’s a question of what we can afford to do,” said Keith Boyum, a political science professor. “I’m a Titan Athletic Foundation member, I’ve been to a game in the new stadium and enjoyed it. I wish we could afford football, but I’m going to vote for the motion. It’s time we followed Cal State Long Beach and eliminate football.”

Added Bill Reeves of Student Affairs: “If keeping football means that other athletic programs suffer, I’d rather support the other programs that do well.”

In light of the budget crisis--retaining football in any form would result in budget deficits ranging from $485,000 to $1 million after the 1993-94 school year--Athletic Director Bill Shumard was asked by a senate member what he wants to do.

“I do not endorse dropping football,” Shumard said. “In the best-case scenario, there are a lot of great reasons to play football if you can afford it and play it competitively. My department can’t cut any more from other sports and keep them competitive. We’re not able to fund football at any level from our department. That’s why this has become a university problem.”