CSUN: Keep Sports That Are Fully Funded

The second meeting of the Cal State Northridge Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics on Monday night brought forth appeals by Athletic Director Paul Bubb and Vice President Ronald Kopita to make sure that any programs retained be “funded properly so that we can be competitive.”

Bubb indicated he wants programs to be funded with close to the maximum scholarships allowed by the NCAA.

However, the administrators admitted that fund-raising has lagged badly in recent years.

Kopita said that the university “should have and could have” consulted the community before making the decision last summer to cancel four men’s sports--baseball, volleyball, soccer and swimming.

Dr. Keith Richman, chairman of the task force, pointed out that the athletic department failed to recieve financial commitments from the school and the university corporation once it became Division I in 1990.

The school at one time contributed $2 million from the general fund and eventually the amount dropped to $1.2 million.

Task force member Jon Hatemi, the associated students vice president, presented a report by faculty advisor Jack Foley recommending that the school pursue membership in the Big West Conference.

Richman voiced displeasure that Foley’s report had been “leaked” to The Times last week before given to the task force.

“I don’t want to be blindsided by a report [in the newspaper],” he told the audience of close to 50 spectators.

Hatemi said a non-binding student referendum will be held this month asking students whether Northridge should find a way to keep the four men’s teams that were canceled in June and reinstated in August.