CSUN NOTEBOOK: KENNEDY KNOWS IMPORTANCE OF PRIVATE FUNDING.Byline: Chris Branam Staff Writer Give Louanne Kennedy credit for consistency. Cal State Northridge's interim president continues to make university fund-raising a top priority. After last week's press conference introducing CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge as one of the Big West Conference's newest members, Kennedy said increased alumni donations to the athletics department would help with many of its budget problems. That includes the impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. reduction in football scholarships and a proposed on-campus football stadium. ``If we fund 40 (scholarships) and if the remaining 15 or 20 come from private funding, from the point of view of a student-athlete, it makes no difference,'' Kennedy said. Football coach Jeff Kearin said Kennedy has stayed firm in her commitment to fund-raising for football and Northridge's other sports. ``I have been given every indication we're going to be allowed to somehow develop funds, through money games and through fund-raising, to keep our scholarship level competitive,'' he said. Athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Dick Dull is close to hiring a new development and marketing coordinator. Kennedy said that person will work directly with the central development office in the second phase of the ``CSUN Rising'' project, which Kennedy said will be devoted to a football stadium. The university recently received its largest donation - $1.5 million from the Ridgestone Foundation - that will fund the construction of a center for aquatic therapy aquatic therapy Water therapy Rehab medicine The exercising of muscle groups under water, which increases range-of-motion and light resistance for rehabilitation. See Rehabilitation medicine. for the physically disabled. Getting money for a $6-7 million football stadium doesn't seem far-fetched, Kennedy said. ``Once we've stabilized the athletics program, which we think this move (to the Big West) has done,''' she said, ``I think we will be able to raise the money with sufficient support.'' --Those other projects: The football stadium is a hypothetical. A more immediate concern for the athletics department is upgrading existing facilities, specifically the baseball and softball fields. CSUN hasn't raised the money to break ground on the new softball stadium. The ``Field of Dreams'' project is being headed by Matadors head coach Janet Sherman and 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. mayoral candidate Steven Soboroff. Kennedy has gotten involved, too. ``I haven't talked to Steve Soboroff Steve Soboroff (born August 31, 1948) is a real estate developer and president of Playa Vista. Mr. Soboroff is the Chairperson of the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. in a month,'' she said, ``(but) the last time I spoke with him, he was still working with our architect people and trying to raise the money.'' --Future opponents: Dull said CSUN's jump to the Big West, and into Division I-AA independent status in football, won't significantly affect football scheduling. Northridge will try to continue playing Big Sky teams like Sacramento State and Northern Arizona Northern Arizona is dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the southern border of which in Arizona is called the Mogollon Rim. In the West lies the Grand Canyon, which was cut by the flow of the Colorado River while the land slowly rose around it. , which are the Matadors' best conference draws. ``It's safe to assume we look forward to continue playing Sac State,'' Dull said. ``(Cal Poly Cal Poly may refer to:
 `ĭs ōbĭs`pō), city (1990 pop. 41,958), seat of San Luis Obispo co., S Calif., near San Luis Obispo Bay; inc. 1856. is somebody
we would hope to have on our schedule on a yearly basis.''
--Nuts and bolts: Two Big West-related items that came out of last week's press conference: --The conference is dropping its Eastern-Western divisional format when CSUN and UC Riverside start competition in the fall of 2001. Of the 10 competing schools, only Utah State and Boise State are out of state. ``We eliminate the divisional concept,'' Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said, ``(but) we're going to be examining whether we want to bring back some of the championship (tournaments) we've had in the past, such as baseball, volleyball and softball.'' --CSUN will be eligible to compete in the men's and 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. tournaments in its first year of play. The tournaments will be held at the same venue - the Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities. - for three years, starting in 2001. --Nice compliment: Long Beach State President Robert Maxson gushed when he visited Northridge to invite Northridge into the Big West last week. ``I like this university,'' Maxson said. ``I admire the strong sports program on this campus. If people don't realize how good the sports programs (are) here, they ought to play the teams.'' |
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