ANY ROOM LEFT FOR US? : STATUS OF INCOMING CSUN ATHLETES UP IN AIR.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

Swelling enrollment has caused Cal State Northridge to cease accepting applications for the spring semester - a situation that came as something of a surprise to some and has left coaches at the school wondering what will become of recruits planning to enroll and participate in spring games or practices.

At this point, administrators can offer no comfort.

``What happened?'' track coach Don Strametz asked rehtorically. ``Weren't we, just a year ago, talking about how we didn't have any students? I think that is what surprised everybody.''

Northridge, which reached a low enrollment of 24,000 in the fall of 1994, has been zealously recruiting students the past few years. The projected enrollment for the spring is approximately 27,500.

``They did a great job,'' Strametz said of the school's efforts to bolster enrollment. ``Unfortunately, they did too phenomenal a job.''

Strametz's track program, which was counting on bringing in ``six to 10'' athletes to compete immediately, and football, which counts on being able to bring in junior college transfers to compete in spring practice, will be affected most if an appeal by athletic director Paul Bubb to allow exceptions for athletes is denied.

``We have a couple kids that we know will commit,'' football coach Dave Baldwin said. ``If they can't come here in the spring, we won't get those kids.''

Vice president for student affairs Ron Kopita said Wednesday he will deal with requests to admit athletes for the spring ``on a case-by-case basis.''

He said he has instructed Bubb to gather requests for exemptions from coaches. For example, once the football team has completed its recruiting of athletes it wants to bring in for the spring, Kopita will then ``take them forward and see if we can make an adjustment.''

Kopita said he would discuss next week with university president Blenda Wilson the process it would decided whether or not to admit athletes. He said he did not know what Wilson's stance was on making exceptions to the closed-admission policy.

``She may say, `Absolutely not,' and that would be the end of it,'' he said. ``Or she may tell me, ``Use your discretion.' ''

Asked how he thought the potential problem would pan out, Kopita said, ``I don't know. At this point, I don't want to comment on whether there is a problem or not.''

One thing in athletics' favor is the relatively few numbers involved.

``We're not talking about hundreds and hundreds of students, so it wouldn't necessarily have an impact on enrollment,'' Kopita said.

Kopita said he has received one request from baseball coach Mike Batesole and ``that request will be honored.''

Strametz remembered the early 1980s when enrollment restrictions were regularly put in place at Northridge and exceptions were made for certain programs, including athletics. He and Baldwin both expressed confidence the issue would be resolved in athletics' favor. But the uncertainty and way they were blindsided by the issue scares them.

Strametz said he has not addressed with prospective recruits the possibility of them not being admitted.

After coaches received a memo last week informing them of the enrollment cap, Bubb told them they ``should continue to recruit, should continue to get the students (they) think will be transferring in at the semester to go ahead and apply, and to get those information ready to go so if we are granted any exceptions we can move forward.''

Strametz has already moved forward, turning a prospective negative in his favor.

Speaking to parents of high school recruits earlier this week, he bragged of Northridge's soaring enrollment. He pointed out that the quality of education is such that the school has had to stop accepting applications for the spring semester.