University President Assailed for Eliminating Sports Teams

Cal State Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson came under attack Friday from students and members of her own faculty advisory board for her decision to eliminate four men’s athletic teams at the university.

The Associated Students--the student government--issued a scathing condemnation, characterizing the cuts as a broken promise to students, who voted for a $27 annual fee increase two years ago on the grounds it would preserve their sports teams.

Some members of the University Budget Advisory Board complained that, contrary to public statements by Wilson, they were not fully consulted.

Wilson argued that she had told the board during an April 28 meeting that some sports might be eliminated to meet gender-equity requirements because there was no money to add women’s teams.

The university eliminated the baseball team and men’s volleyball, soccer and swimming teams Wednesday, blaming a combination of financial pressures and the need to meet a legal deadline to bring the numbers of female student athletes into line with those of men.