Canyons Moves Forward with Football

Supporters of reinstating football at College of the Canyons gained a critical first down Wednesday night, but their absence at a Santa Clarita Community College board meeting indicated they may have a long way to go before scoring a touchdown.

With empty seats far outnumbering those in attendance, the board unanimously voted to proceed with plans to expand the athletic program by adding football and women’s soccer--if it can be shown that there is community support to help fund the new sports.

Several board members were clearly disturbed by the lack of interest, considering that a tentative proposal calls for 50% of the start-up costs for the two sports--about $80,000--to be raised by the community by Nov. 15.

In May, the board voted to support a recommendation to reinstate football for the 1998 season contingent upon 12 parameters being met.

An independent consultant hired to work with the district in developing a Title IX compliance plan recommended that Canyons delay reinstating football until at least 1999 in order to allow the school to increase the number of women participating in athletics.

However, Dianne Van Hook, Canyons president and district superintendent, said she hopes the school can move more quickly toward “proportionality” by adding women’s soccer and perhaps another women’s sport--water polo was mentioned--and by increasing the rosters of Canyons’ six existing women’s sports.

In addition, the board wants to hear back from the College of the Canyons Foundation, which has yet to approve a proposal that calls for the organization to provide a $1 match for every $2 in funds raised, with a maximum foundation match of $60,000 for athletics.