CSUN Shouldn’t Milk This Cow

CSUN’s latest foray into the neon-lit world of negative publicity was its decision to eliminate four men’s sports, none of them football, in order to meet gender-equity requirements and to balance a debt-ridden budget. This controversial choice raises a host of questions.

My question is: Why is football such a sacred cow: Prestige? Ha! Northridge’s sister institutions in Long Beach and Fullerton dropped football and their status hasn’t suffered. For membership in a conference that it never should have joined in the first place? Both football and the conference are too expensive to be justifiable. On the other hand, the four abolished sports are not only much less costly to operate but each has also brought far greater recognition and credit to the school than the football program ever will. Moreover, the Valley is a hotbed of youth soccer, and local high schools have won several city volleyball championships. (The university is interested in outreach to the community. Have its officials ever seen the great number of soccer-playing kids and their parents who attend Matador soccer games? Coach Marwan [Ass’ad] and many of his players have been very active helping various youth programs. Several former players have gone on to become outstanding coaches in the area. In addition, the soccer fields would still be a pathetic mess had it not been for the donations of materials and hours of labor by community volunteers.) And a Southern California university without a baseball team?! Come on.

It seems to me that in this extremely competitive academic and sports environment, a university should concentrate on what it does best. It can’t be all things to all people. Academically, CSUN cannot compete in graduate training but it excels in undergraduate education. This is where the university has properly focused its energies and resources. The situation in sports is similar. It is folly to think that CSUN can compete in football. On the other hand, Northridge has done exceedingly well in the so-called “minor” sports. Northridge should concentrate on what it does best.

BOB HORN

Winnetka