Task Force: Restore Northridge Sports

In a strong rebuff to school administrators, a task force ordered by state Sen. Cathie Wright unanimously recommended Monday night that Cal State Northridge permanently restore four men’s sports it dropped last summer.

Baseball, volleyball, soccer and swimming can be saved even with a 6% cut in the athletic budget, the 15-member panel found.

The task force also recommended that Northridge not comply with court-ordered gender-equity requirements by next fall. A report explaining Northridge’s justification for non-compliance is required by an agreement between the Cal State University system and California chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Athletic costs increased and revenues declined after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, making it impossible for Northridge to meet the consent decree guidelines without cutting men’s sports, the committee found.

“Northridge should adhere to a philosophy that embraces and abides by the true spirit of gender equity by increasing opportunities for women rather than decreasing opportunities for men,” task force Chairman Dr. Keith Richman said.

Northridge should move toward compliance by significantly increasing the budget, scholarship and participation numbers in women’s sports and possibly adding water polo and lacrosse teams, the task force said. Most men’s sports would trim a few scholarships and make small cuts to their operating budgets.

The task force, which has met weekly since Sept. 29, will forward its findings to Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson in two weeks, Richman said.