Northridge’s Stadium Plan Off the Clock

Not long ago, time was of the essence for Cal State Northridge in its quest to build an on-campus football stadium and upgrade existing athletic facilities.

Now, time is on Northridge’s side.

The roar of bulldozers won’t soon be heard on the proposed site of an 8,000-seat outdoor facility near North Campus Stadium. Despite opposition from local residents, the university insists it is committed to building.

Although Northridge last spring approved plans for athletic expansion, which include building a baseball stadium and recreational center, it remains anyone’s guess when the dirt will begin to fly.

Northridge still is at square one when it comes to funding the project, estimated to cost $10 million. The university’s next move is the hiring of an administrator in charge of fund-raising, expected to be made in January by interim President Louanne Kennedy and Athletic Director Dick Dull.

Dull said it likely will be two or three years before a stadium is completed.

“We’re not in a panic situation,” Dull said. “But the process will be started and the fund-raising, in effect, will be underway.”

Suddenly, pressure to push forward at breakneck speed has eased.

The Big Sky Conference, of which Northridge has been a member since 1996, has backed off its insistence that the Matadors have a stadium in place by June, or that construction at least be underway.

With ancient North Campus Stadium scheduled to be demolished within a few years, Northridge is close to striking a deal with Pierce College that will make the Woodland Hills campus the Matadors’ temporary football home while construction of a new stadium inches along.

Big Sky officials, who mandated Northridge build a stadium when the university joined the conference, have granted approval for the Matadors to play at Pierce.

Then there’s the Big West Conference.

Dominoes continue to fall in a series of events that point toward Northridge becoming a member of a revised Big West. It seems only a matter of time. And if that happens, Northridge can take its time building a stadium, or even scrap the project.

Last week, Northridge announced its baseball team will join the Big West in 2001, a significant step toward the university joining as a full-fledged member. Northridge’s softball team already is a member of the Big West.

Northridge remains a member of the Big Sky in football and men’s and women’s basketball.

Dennis Farrell, Big West commissioner, has declined to speculate on the future of the conference while it reshuffles its membership and considers its future.

Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico State and North Texas have announced plans to defect from the Big West. Among the existing six Big West schools in California, Northridge and UC Riverside are rumored to be preferred additions.

“Our California schools have expressed where they want to be in the future,” Farrell said. “Time is on [Northridge’s] side. They just need to let nature take its course.”

Dull acknowledges he has had a “continuing conversation” with Farrell regarding the future of the Big West and the Matadors. But he declines to discuss specifics.

For now, Dull reiterated Northridge is committed to remaining a member of the Big Sky. Kennedy echoed Dull that Northridge has no plans to leave the Big Sky or to cancel plans to build a stadium, regardless of its conference affiliation.

Moreover, a change in university administration likely will have little impact on Northridge’s athletic future. Kennedy said the topic is paramount during discussions this week as candidates for the university’s presidency visited campus to participate in open forums.

“The conversations I’ve had [with candidates] indicate a high degree of congruence,” Kennedy said. “The philosophy basically will be the same.”

As for a time frame for expansion, Kennedy declined to speculate. Then again, there no longer seems to be a reason to hurry.

“I can really only speak to the decision to hire [a fund-raiser],” Kennedy said. “I can’t suggest that the process will be revolutionary. We still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of fences to mend with the community. But I have a positive view that we will be moving appropriately.”