CSUN NOTEBOOK: NO RADIO, NO RESPECT, NO DEAL.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

If you wanted to listen to Cal State Northridge's men's basketball game against Tennessee a few weeks ago on the radio - short of finding the Vols' Web site and hooking onto the online broadcast - you were out of luck.

Same with CSUN's game at Hawaii on Thursday. And at Brigham Young's tournament the following week. And home against James Madison.

And so on, and so on, and so on.

It's a sore spot, even an embarrassment, that the only Division I institution in the San Fernando Valley has no radio outlet for basketball.

Before Paul Bubb resigned as athletic director earlier this month, he said he was attempting to work a deal with KCSN-FM (88.5) for a game of the week. Nothing materialized, and when Bubb left the project was turned over to assistant athletic director Brian Swanson, albeit way too late.

``I have a couple calls in to KCSN and have not heard back,'' Swanson said. ``I'm not holding out a lot of hope and we are over budget right now. Hopefully, I'll hear something soon.''

Swanson said a game of the week is possible once the Big Sky Conference season begins Jan. 2, but it would be contingent on KCSN's schedule.

``The most likely would be either a Thursday or Saturday game, but it could be either men or women,'' he said. ``We thought of a `Big Sky Game of the Week.' But basketball road games can be expensive.''

Swanson said air time to broadcast a basketball game would cost approximately $700, but that doesn't include talent fees and travel expenses. If a deal is struck that could land even one CSUN basketball game on the radio, football play-by-play announcer Gary Cruz said he would be interested.

Afternoon delight: A lot was made of Bubb's decision to move the start of home football games from 6 p.m. to 3 p.m., but attendance didn't suffer. Or so the numbers say.

Maybe it had more to do with winning games and being in a playoff race than the time, but CSUN enjoyed a successful season at the gate.

CSUN averaged 4,482 in five home dates, which is the best since the 1991 season average of 4,591. In addition, the 22,411 was the fourth highest total in school history.

Of course, opponents of the 3 p.m. starts say the crowds would have been larger had the games began at the traditional time of 6 p.m.

The Matadors went 7-4 and missed winning the Big Sky championship and grabbing an automatic bid to the Division I-AA playoffs when they lost their season finale at Idaho State.

No word has been given from CSUN's administration on what time kickoffs will be next season.

Mejia to return? Former Reseda High soccer star Jose Mejia, a one-time Daily News Player of the Year, said he expects to return to CSUN next season.

Mejia was enrolled during the 1995-96 academic year but was ineligible to play soccer. A defender, he spent last season at Rio Hondo College in Whittier. He should bolster a rising Matadors' program. CSUN, which rejoins the MPSF next season, went 12-5 and finished the season ranked 10th in the Far West Region.