March 16, 1995
SF State President Robert A. Corrigan said Monday the football team could have one more season if they provide valid reasons for keeping the team.
More than 25 players met with Corrigan in the Administration Building Monday to discuss the future of SF State's football program.
In the meeting, Corrigan said he decided to cut football now instead of next season because he feared an under-manned team and low team morale.
But if players can provide information on how many players will be on next year's team, Corrigan may consider reversing his decision.
"Don't go walking out of here on a cloud," Corrigan warned players. "It's not likely that it will be reversed."
Players voiced their frustrations to Corrigan over the short notice they received.
"(Corrigan) you left us hanging," Tim Malatesta, a senior strong safety said. "I went to the wall for this school. It hurts as a player and as a human."
"You should have made the decision in January," Holoi Thompson, a freshman receiver said. "It would have saved a lot of time and a lot of lives."
Football Coach Doug Hollie said, "If you are cutting the program, where is the hope? You are supposed to set goals, not take them away."
Football was cut because the National Organization of Women sued the California State University system for equal representation in college sports. To meet the CAL-NOW consent decree requirements women's sports teams must reflect enrollment in the CSU system within 5 percentage points by 1998.
To keep the football team at SF State and be in compliance with the CAL-NOW decision would be too expensive, Corrigan said.
In the 1994-1995 school year 59 percent of the school's population was female. Before the football program was cut, 66 percent of the 286 athletes were male and 34 percent were female.
Athletic Director Betsy Alden said there were three options to comply with the CAL-NOW consent decree: cut football, cut four or five other men's teams or add four to six women's teams.
SF State can't afford to add more women's sports, Alden said. She added that the university lacks the sports facilities needed for additional teams.
Football players said they should have been given a chance to raise the $250,000 extra needed to fund football. But raising the money is difficult, Corrigan said.
In order to raise $750,000 needed for additional women's sports teams and the football team, students would have to pass a referendum that would increase their Associated Student fees $30 a year, Corrigan said. And with inflation, the $30 fee would have to be increased a dollar a year.
Vice President for Student Affairs Penny Saffold said students wouldn't support an Associated Fee increase for sports. The last AS fee increase was written in such a way that some money would be used for a childcare center and sports, she said.
But if the childcare center wasn't included in the fee increase, it would have failed, she said.
Hollie, who is a volunteer coach for the team, said he could raise the money for the team. He proposed that SF State holds football camps during the summer and charge $250 per student.
Football players suggested trying to raise money from the alumni.
"There is no alumni support out there," Corrigan said. "No one is willing to keep the program going."
Corrigan added that few students attend the games.
Malatesta said students stayed away because the games weren't promoted well enough.
Academic Senate Chair Hollis Matson disagreed, and said students don't have time to watch the games.
Despite the efforts to make the sports program equal there is a lack of women's interest to participate, according to one student. Amy Fischbach, an SF State soccer player, said her team is having problems filling its roster. She said the soccer team started out with 40 players and ended up with only 12.
Alden said that recruitment is the key to getting female participants.
"There is no pressure to play well," Fischbach said. "You have to make the (women's) program better."