Senate Panel Offers Bailout for CSUN Sports

A state Senate budget committee approved $586,000 Wednesday to rescue three men’s sports teams eliminated by Cal State Northridge, but university officials said the money may be too little, too late.

The surprise amendment was added to the state budget at the urging of Sen. Cathie Wright (R--Simi Valley), a member of the Joint Budget Conference Committee, whose district includes the CSUN campus. The budget must still pass both houses of the Legislature and be signed by Gov. Pete Wilson.

Wright has been strongly critical of the university’s decision last month to drop men’s baseball, volleyball and swimming in an effort to salvage a deficit-ridden sports budget and comply with gender-equity laws.

“These sports were very important to the community,” Wright said.

News of the potential bailout startled CSUN officials who had provided budget information to Wright last month but did not know of her rescue plan.

“We’ve had conversations with Cathie and her staff, but we did not know this was coming,” said CSUN President Blenda J. Wilson when told of the committee’s action.

With the athletic department $800,000 in debt, and the soccer team given only a one-year reprieve, Wilson and other school administrators questioned if $586,000 would be enough to revive the eliminated sports for the coming school year.

“I don’t know where [Wright] came up with that amount,” said Ronald Kopita, vice president of student affairs. “I’m not altogether positive that would resurrect all those sports.”

Wright said the figure was given to her by university officials as the sum needed to keep the three teams alive for another year.

But Wilson declined to speculate on whether the potential budget appropriation could save any of the eliminated sports.

“We need time to analyze it with Cathie and her staff,” Wilson said. “Right now, the question is too hypothetical for me to answer.”

There may be no teams worth salvaging, CSUN administrators said, as with each passing day, athletes on the axed squads transfer to other schools where they will be able to continue playing.

“I know a couple of our players have committed to other places,” said Jeff Campbell, an assistant volleyball coach. “We could definitely come up with a team, but would we be competitive? I wouldn’t want to comment on that.”

In addition to providing emergency funds, Wright’s budget amendment calls for CSUN to convene a task force to study future funding and deal with gender inequalities.

In 1993, the California chapter of the National Organization for Women sued the California State University system for failing to comply with the gender-equity laws commonly known as Title IX. In a subsequent settlement, Cal State system officials agreed to raise the number of female athletes to about equal the numbers of male athletes by fall 1998.

Women currently account for 39% of varsity athletes at CSUN.

With the legal deadline approaching and no money to add women’s teams--water polo, rifle marksmanship and lacrosse were under consideration--CSUN announced the cuts June 11. The soccer team was initially eliminated, then reinstated for one year when its coach convinced administrators that the program could support itself financially.

Meanwhile, students, faculty and the public expressed outrage over the elimination of the other sports while athletes contemplated legal action. The coaches of the CSUN men’s swimming and volleyball teams said they asked for help from Wright, who had condemned the action the day it was announced by saying “Somehow you have to swallow the idea you’d like to kill them for the mistakes they’re making.”

To secure the bailout, Wright had to persuade the committee--comprised of three members each from the Assembly and Senate--to reopen a part of the budget that had already been closed.

The money was taken from a state college reserve fund that is generally used to pay for deferred maintenance and legal settlements. Any money above a certain amount, if not spent, must be returned to the general fund, Wright said, and so should be available for CSUN’s use.

While neither the Assembly nor Senate has yet approved the budget for fiscal 1997-98, neither house can remove a specific appropriation approved by the conference committee, but would have to reject the entire budget to kill the provision. Only the governor has the power to strike individual items.

Wright expressed confidence that the amendment would remain in the budget.

Meanwhile, there was promising news for CSUN sports on other fronts.

In a last-minute effort similar to the soccer team’s, the swimming program has received numerous donations, including $5,000 from a pool industry organization and equipment from a swimsuit manufacturer.

“That’s not including donations from the alumni, which are starting to roll in,” said Barry Schreifels, coach of the men’s and women’s teams. “I fully expect our men’s team to be reinstated with the contributions that I have gotten.”

At the same time, the university’s fund-raising foundation is considering establishing an endowment or private fund to pay for the return of baseball. Wilson said she has placed several calls to Dick Enberg, an NBC sportscaster and former CSUN assistant baseball coach--who has been publicly critical of her decision--to ask for help raising money. But she has yet to speak to him, she said.

There were no celebrations at the campus Wednesday when word arrived of Wright’s rescue move.

“I don’t want to start thinking that way until I see something,” said volleyball Coach John Price. “Business as usual until they tell me differently.”

Holtzman reported from Sacramento and Wharton from Northridge.