Televising Title Game Is Discussed : Southern Section: Negotiations are underway with KCOP to broadcast Division I final.

After withdrawing its large-school football champion from future Reebok Bowls, the Southern Section is negotiating with KCOP to televise its Division I championship game, the section’s council was told at a meeting Thursday.

Section Commissioner Stan Thomas said the section’s executive committee has decided to withdraw its Division I winner from the bowl game, which pairs City and Southern section large-school champions.

The City and Southern sections shared $50,000 in television rights from KCOP with the State CIF for the inaugural Reebok Bowl last December, in which La Puente Bishop Amat defeated Sylmar, 31-10.

“The State insisted on a third of the profit,” Thomas said. “But our council didn’t agree with that.”

At a CIF State Council meeting in February, Southern Section officials asked to table a motion for a one-year extension on the bowl game until the next State council meeting in May.

Principals of the Del Rey League recently voted not to participate in future Reebok Bowls, and Citrus League officials were considering similar action.

“With the Del Rey and Citrus leagues, two outstanding football leagues, (pulling out) it was becoming more and more evident that we were swimming upstream,” Thomas said.

Chris Thomas, section director of sports marketing, said he has presented a multi-year deal to KCOP to televise the section Division I championship game and expects to strike a deal. He refused to disclose terms of a possible contract.

Other items on the council agenda at Thursday’s meeting included:

--A proposal waiving the eight-semester limitation on athletic eligibility, providing that a student younger than 19 misses a sports season because of academic or social hardships.

Under the proposal, students who had missed a specific sports season would be allowed to return to compete in that sport for a fifth year.

“The negative side of the proposal would be that it could be construed by some people as redshirting,” Thomas said. “From what I’ve heard, I don’t think our section is interested in (adopting) this proposal.”

Mark Cunningham, University High athletic director, said he doesn’t support the proposal.

“There is some potential for abuse,” Cunningham said. “But it meets the needs of some kids. I don’t think we need a rule change but a stronger appeals board.”

--A proposed $27,400 decrease in the section’s budget for the 1993-94 school year.

The proposed budget, a 2% reduction from last year’s $1,310,193, will be voted on at the council’s April 29 meeting.

The section has frozen staff salaries and trimmed in other areas to help defray the loss of corporate sponsorship when Reebok’s three-year contract with the state expires in June. The section received about $100,000 a year from Reebok, section treasurer Tom Triggs said.

--An update by Triggs on the progress of a proposed Orange County section, which has been targeted for the 1994-95 school year. Triggs said the section organizing committee is trying to establish a constitution, organization structure and corporate sponsorship.

--Postponing a vote on expanding the South Coast League summer “dead period” for water polo because of several changes being made in the proposal.