FOOTBALL VEXED OFF FIELD, TOO INCIDENTS BUILD IMPRESSION OF PROGRAM UNDER SIEGE.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Cal State Northridge's football program has had its share of struggles on the field. It's had an equally disturbing amount of embarrassing setbacks off the field.

At times, the program has been a public-relations nightmare.

Most recently, the CSUN football team was put on probation after an internal investigation found numerous NCAA rules violations, which led to the firing of then-coach Ron Ponciano in 1999.

Former coach Dave Baldwin lied about the shooting of one of his players, Shayne Blakey, in 1996. Baldwin covered up the off-campus shooting by saying Blakey had had an appendectomy. He and university officials later apologized.

Another former player was allowed to play defensive end for the Matadors in 1994 while under indictment for attempted murder, although he was never convicted.

In the late 1960s, a Black Student Union leader, Archie Chatman, a former Matadors football player, alleged the coaching staff was racist and that it started white players over blacks.

In recent years, homeowners associations surrounding Northridge fiercely fought plans to build a new football stadium. Ultimately, they won - though CSUN officials oddly insisted they still had plans to build a new facility.

And then there was interim president Louanne Kennedy's proclamation in February 2000, in which she said: ``We intend to continue football until the end of time.''

After 40 years of highlights and lowlights, both on the field and off, the program is expected to be eliminated by Thanksgiving. Many people believe the final blow for football was the NCAA sanctions, the last big blunder.

CSUN coach Jeff Kearin, in his third season as head coach and seventh with the program, hasn't had to oversee any disgraceful incidents the last couple of years. But that doesn't mean the football team was without tribulations. On the contrary.

There has been a rampant rumor for two decades that CSUN will cancel its football program, making recruiting a challenge.

North Campus Stadium is scheduled to be demolished next year, forcing CSUN to play at Pierce College if it keeps the program.

And then there was the school's move to the Big West Conference this season, a conference without football. The football program is in its first season as a I-AA independent and its scholarships are down to just 45. At the time, officials said the move didn't mean the school was de-emphasizing football. But that's exactly what has happened.

``Having been here for the beginning, middle and the end, when you think about where we are today and where we've been, no one is even here except for me,'' Kearin said. ``The university and administration is totally different. When you look at what we went through, and the big picture of scandalous behavior, (the sanctions) are pretty minor.

``I don't mean to trivialize it. But we weren't SMU or some of the other programs that are in so much trouble. We didn't have a lot. Anyone's motivation in what we did was trying to make this program as livable and exciting as we could for the student athlete. In so doing, it got out of control with the violation of some rules and we paid dearly for that - financially, with the media and our reputation.''

The CSUN athletic department's reputation in the summer of 1997 was at an all-time low. President Blenda Wilson dropped four men's sports - baseball, soccer, volleyball and swimming. It was a move that appeared to save football.

After national criticism and public outcry, the four sports were reinstated seven weeks later. Four years later, the football program - and all of its successes and failures - appears to be playing for the last time.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (copy of Daily News with headline: CSUN fires coach)

(2) WOULD YOU BELIEVE BY 1969?

ARTIST'S CONCEPTION OF PROPOSED 40,000-SEAT MATADOR STADIUM

CSUN'S goal of building a football stadium never materialized, even though it was an idea back in the 1960's. At top is an artist's rendition of a 20,000 seat stadium, and the university's goal (as stated on the drawing) was to have it built by 1969. A few years later, the bottom rendition was released, but the optimistic target date was gone.

Courtesy