CSUN NOTEBOOK: HERD SHIES AWAY FROM MATADORS.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

The scholarship issue is hurting the Cal State Northridge

football team in more ways than one.

CSUN had just 43 athletes on scholarship this season. Obviously, fewer scholarships means fewer quality players. Because it has so few scholarships, at least one Division I-A program - Marshall University - decided not to play CSUN next season.

To be bowl eligible, a team must have six wins. As Air Force learned this season, a win won't count toward bowl eligibility unless the opposing team averages at least 60 scholarships over three seasons.

Air Force beat CSUN 55-6 this season but the win didn't count toward bowl eligibility. The Falcons won their following game, making it a moot point. However, Air Force officials later said that if they'd known about the stipulation, they wouldn't have scheduled the CSUN game.

And it was enough to scare Marshall. CSUN had unofficial plans to play Marshall next year, but contracts were never signed. Coach Jeff Kearin said CSUN officials informed Marshall of the scholarship situation.

``They checked with their conference (Mid-American) and their conference was a little nervous about the scholarship issue and the fact that they could be a bowl team and would need six wins,'' Kearin said.

CSUN plays at least one guaranteed game against a Division I-A opponent each season but doesn't have one scheduled yet for next season. Kearin said he makes at least five calls a day to Division I schools.

The athletic department relies heavily on the revenue generated from these games. CSUN made $125,000 for playing Air Force.

--No such luck: Rumors that CSUN will play Nebraska next year aren't true, although Kearin wishes they were. Last year, CSUN and Nebraska talked about a matchup, but it never materialized.

After the CSUN basketball team's historic upset at UCLA last week, radio stations in L.A. were flooded with calls about Northridge. One caller said CSUN was playing Nebraska next season.

``We actually had a deal penciled in to play Nebraska last year and Nebraska backed out,'' Kearin said.