Club soccer status
remains 'up in the air'
By KEN SANDS
Of the Emerald
Soccer may be a "kick in the grass,”
but a lack of "green" is keeping it from
being funded by the athletic department.
“John Caine, University athletic direc
tor is interested in soccer, but he has a
business to run,” says Mike Davis, Club
Sports soccer coach. "He's as much as
told us that with the current financial sit
uation it’s impossible for the athletic
department to expand.”
Though soccer is enjoying a popularity
boom, says Caine, it doesn't make sense
to spend money for an additional sport
when the department has been forced to
cut back on the current budget.
Title IX legislation is partly to blame for
the cutbacks, adds Caine. Since men’s
and women’s sports must now be funded
equally, the men have had to scramble for
funds to cover both programs.
"Because of Title IX, it's obvious we
would have a difficult time adding any
new sports," says Caine.
Greg Robinson, the athletic depart
ment’s business manager says soccer
may have a future in the athletic depart
ment — but not for at least three years.
"We just expanded our program when we
couldn't afford to because of Title IX, and
further expansion is extremely unlikely."
Robinson adds the relatively low cost
of soccer makes it a possibility for the
future, but only if there is financial sup
port from the community. "We cannot
lead the way as much as we'd like to.
We've got to wait for the primary and
secondary schools to build their
programs so that there is community
interest.’’
Davis estimates that the team must
raise $25,000 per year from the com
munity in order to gain athletic depart
ment status, but even that may not satisfy
Caine “Caine's concern was that we
would be taking away from people who
contribute to other sports," says Davis
If soccer is funded by the athletic
department, Davis says he feels the
athletic department would benefit. “I
think we could get reasonable crowds at
our games, and we could definitely at
tract the best athletes in the state."
Winning programs are built around
good athletes and Davis says Oregon
would gain prestige from having a win
ning program. "Just because we've had
an organized program we've had some
good players, and if we could give
scholarships we could become one of the
best teams on the West Coast," says
Davis.
While it's doubtful soccer will become
incorporated into the athletic department
in the next few years, Davis says the
program will continue to grow as a club
sport. "Despite only being a club, we
have a pretty good program. One of our
players (Scott Meiggs) made it to the
Timbers training camp.”
Davis admits Meiggs is an exception,
and that any hopes of a soccer dynasty lie
within — not without — the athletic
department.
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