BIG SKY PARTNERSHIP NEVER MEANT TO BE.Byline: Lee Barnathan Staff Writer Perhaps at first glance it seemed like an odd coupling: A Los Angeles- based university - with two million residents living nearby - and a conference based in the Rocky Mountains Rocky Mountains, major mountain system of W North America and easternmost belt of the North American cordillera, extending more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from central N.Mex. to NW Alaska; Mt. Elbert (14,431 ft/4,399 m) in Colorado is the highest peak. . Cal State Northridge and the Big Sky wanted to make this marriage work, and they tried their best through good times and bad. But like many well-intentioned unions, this ended in divorce. Cal State Northridge will spend next season, its fifth, in the Big Sky and then leave in 2001. As the conference bids goodbye, it can't help but feel the experience was mixed at best. ``We weren't totally dissatisfied,'' conference chief of staff Ron Loghry said. Northridge and the Big Sky hooked up out of necessity: There weren't many Division I-AA football-playing schools out West. The Big Sky had lost Boise State and Idaho and was down to six schools. Loghry said the conference thought it needed at least eight, so it invited Northridge, Sacramento State and Portland State. It could have invited Southern Utah, but passed because it found the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. media market more desirable than Cedar City, Utah Cedar City is a city located in Iron County, Utah, 250 miles south of Salt Lake City on Interstate 15. It is the home of Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespearean Festival, the Neil Simon Theatre Festival, the Utah Summer Games, and other events. . The conference was frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: that Northridge failed to upgrade its football stadium. Each year, the conference gave CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge an extension to get it done, and each year nothing happened. ``Northridge was faced with some very difficult challenges,'' Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said. Upgrading the football stadium wasn't the only one. By association, the conference suffered black eyes every time Northridge made negative headlines, including: --The decision to cut four men's sports. --The arrest of women's basketball Women's basketball is one of the few games which developed in tandem with men's. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. coach Michael Abraham on federal drug trafficking charges. --The investigation into the football program that led to the firing of coach Ron Ponciano. ``I don't think we had a real understanding,'' Loghry said. ``Doug made the comment. He felt bad for them: `Everything seemed to happen at once.' There were times it wasn't great news.'' There were some positive moments, however. Loghry said the Matadors' strength in sports such as track and field caused other member conferences to elevate el·e·vate tr.v. ele·vat·ed, ele·vat·ing, ele·vates 1. To move (something) to a higher place or position from a lower one; lift. 2. To increase the amplitude, intensity, or volume of. 3. their programs to compete. But in the end, the conference thinks it's better this marriage didn't last. |
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