Regents to get report for sports at CCSN

A recommendation that intercollegiate athletics be started at the Community College of Southern Nevada initially with one sport for men and one for women will come before the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada at its meeting this week.

CCSN President Richard Moore recommends that over 10 years, the community college should build up to offering four or five sports -- adding one for men and one for women every two years. Moore is asking the regents to kick in $200,000 to start the athletic program.

The money, Moore wrote in a memo to University Chancellor Richard Jarvis, should not come from an increase in the community college's budget but should be taken from a projected increase in non-instructional revenues. Moore also wants students and the community to contribute $200,000 for facilities costs.

Currently there are no intercollegiate athletic programs at any of the state's community colleges. In the past, state legislators frowned on spending money for athletics at these schools. At one time, the Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno had a basketball team but that was abandoned.

A committee, headed by Las Vegas attorney John O'Reilly, was appointed by Moore to study the issue and recommended the start of the program.

CCSN Faculty Senate President Al Balboni said the faculty is not opposed to creating an intercollegiate athletic program as long as the money doesn't come from instructional funds.

"The Senate's position is that if the board decides to go forward with intercollegiate athletics at CCSN, our wish is that the money come from donations from the private sector, and/or specific appropriations from the state," Balboni said.

He also said Moore's plan to add one sport every two years was good.

"That's the wisest way to go, rather than jump in with both feet," Balboni said.

Jarvis is suggesting the regents accept the report on the intercollegiate sports proposal and wait until November to decide whether to go forward with the program. An hour has been set aside on the agenda Thursday afternoon for the regents to talk about the future of CCSN athletics.

Meanwhile Tom Anderes, vice chancellor of finance and administration, has submitted a report to the regents on the budgets of the intercollegiate athletic programs at UNLV and University of Nevada, Reno.

For the 1999 fiscal year, UNLV's athletic budget is $9.9 million compared to UNR's at $7.5 million. The state has allocated about $2 million to each school for the athletic programs.

Proposed pay raises for the chancellor and other executives as well as controversial programming changes at the UNLV radio station also are on this month's agenda for the Thursday and Friday meeting at the Desert Research Institute, 755 E. Flamingo Road.

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