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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1981)
_ .weekly . emerald sports Wednesday, February 4,1981 r 1 vs. NCAA AIAW /J Scarcely less than one month ago, on Jan. 13, the NCAA took a final and convincing step into women’s athletics. The organization voted overwhelmingly to include women in its governance structure and to sponsor championships for women in Division I sports. The organization began sponsoring championships in Divisions II and III in I979. Reaction to the decision by delegates to the NCAA's Florida convention has been DOtn lar-reacning ana aiverse. Many institutions and athletic directors have expressed dis approval with the move to in corporate women’s athletics, others have welcomed the mciyci cayci ly auu CA^cuiam ly, and still a third group has remained uncommitted. The assimilation move by the NCAA was received with shock and dismay by the AIAW, the governing body of women’s athletics since 1971. AIAW Pres. Donna Lopina from the University of Texas did her best to disregard the setback in January. “The suggestion that women will have a choice as to whether they want to be with the AIAW or the NCAA is ridiculous. There will be no choice, I’m afraid.” But while the AIAW has expressed disapproval, athletic directors have begun examining the move’s financial and legal implications to decide which direction their institution will take. Athletic departments in the Pacific-10 and in AIAW Region 9 have begun to make decisions about their institutions. Since the University will be affected and will affect others by decisions within the two regions, the Emerald sports department has compiled a sam pling of attitudes and decisions from West Coast and Northwest universities. Oregon Athletic Director John Caine. Deputy Athletic Director Julie Carson After less than a month examining the implications of a move from AlAW-governed to NCAA-governed women’s athletics, Oregon has begun to take the initial steps toward the NCAA. "No official decision has been made,” Caine says. “But everyone seems to be in favor of moving into the NCAA as soon as possible.” Oregon’s delegates to the NCAA convention voted one voice against the governance proposal, he says. "But since we have it, we ll make the best use of our options.” "We want to go where the best competition for our athletes will be," Carson says. Although no decision has been made by the athletic department or approved by Acting University Pres. Paul Olum, it is likely that in the not-so-distant future Oregon will be a full member of the NCAA. “Right now we want to pick and choose,” says ‘The ways that women will be governed is a mammoth problem ... we all face.’ Carson. What the University must do first is choose how to spend its money, says Carson, adding that, initially, a recruiting budget won't be a problem. Oregon, like most institutions, has agreed to stay with the AIAW rules through next year. But even now, Oregon will have two sets of cham pionships to apply for. Under the agreement worked out by the NCAA, institutions have until 1985 to make a decision on which group to join permanently. Until then, so long as Oregon complies with the stricter AIAW regulations, the Duck women will be eligible for two sets of championships. Carson and Caine don’t express much worry about the possibility of a monstrous recruiting budget. Currently, women are budgeted $72,000 for post-sea son travel, says Carson. Since the NCAA has promised to pay for national travel, that money could be moved into the recruiting column. Oregon’s combined men’s and women’s athletic budgets amounts to over $5 million. Thirty-three percent goes to administrative costs. Women’s athle tics is budgeted $524,220 for 1980-81. "I don’t believe we'll be out-recruited too much,” says Carson. "Nobody has a money machine in their basement.” But "it could turn into a significant amount of dollars as time goes on," Caine says. The University also has one concern no other institution is bothered by — a lawsuit filed against Oregon by Robert and Barbara Aiken, whose daughters played basketball at the University in I977. The Aikens allege the University was discriminatory by belonging to organizations which based their mem bership on sex. “The Aikens are pressing for common rules for men and women," Carson says. “Until now, governance under one organization was impossible, therefore a moot point. “But I don't know now if the University — given the option — can belong to an organization which dis criminates against sex — the AIAW." Like most Pac-10 schools, Oregon is headed in the direction of the NCAA, Caine says. “There's a lot of emotionalism in this decision — it’s not an easy one at all.” Vet it is a decision the University has to make,’and soon, says Carson. "The women’s coaches are ba sically in favor of it and the administration seems in favor of it. “There is no doubt in my mind that that (NCAA) is the direction Oregon will go." Montana State Men’s Athletic Director Tom Parac. Women’s Athletic Director Jenny Hunt. There's lots of land and cattle in Montana Unfor tunately, there's no big-time college athletics and no big-time income from a top football team, says Parac. The athletic budget for men at Montana State is approximately $1 million, Parac says. The women's budget is $450,000, says Hunt. “Comparing us to a Division I school is like com paring apples and oranges,” Parac says. “They’re two types of fruit, but one generates more income from one sport than our entire athletic budget.” There is no doubt, looking at what Montana State can do reasonably with its budget, that the university will remain with the AIAW, says Hunt, who is also chairer of the AIAW ethics and eligibility committee. “Montana State intends to continue its affiliation with the AIAW,” Hunt says. "We believe it is the appropriate group to govern women's athetics until the NCAA provides equal representation for women.” Montana State’s delegation to the NCAA convention voted against the governance proposal, Parac says. “I don't think we could ever afford to have the kind of recruiting budget belonging to the NCAA would demand,” Hunt says. "We don’t have enough money now and our recruiting budget is only 5 percent of the men’s." “Maybe some schools can afford it," Parac says. “But we can’t We can barely afford what we have now.” Continued on Page 3B
