_Editorial— University needs sports lottery game Despite objections from the National Football league, Sports Ac tion - the Oregon lottery game based on point spreads of National Football league contests will prove* to be a good bet in the* long run. The sports lottery, the first of its kind, has ear marked proceeds to aid intercollegiate athletics in the state While it was almost too late in coining. Sports Action is a needed step in the financing of college sports. In the beginning, the NFI. considered Sports Ac tion a threat to professional football, claiming a betting game based on point spreads would lead to possible game fixing by players and coaches. This was a dubi ous complaint at best, considering no NFL teams exist in Oregon, and there is only one NFL team in the en tire Pacific Northwest As such, the NFL has since backed off on any lawsuits, as it threatened earlier in the summer Sports Action is a necessity for state institutions to remain competitive in the Pacific;-10 and other confer ences since Oregon is the only state in the nation that doesn’t provide funds for c ollege athletics through the state legislature. If not for Sports Action, the Universi ty and Oregon State, already pathetically last in the* Pac-1() in quality sports facilities, would sink even lower. University Athletic Director Bill Byrne and most coaches are particularly ecstatic over Sports Action. Although Sports Action may generate only $5 million this year instead of the predicted $8 million, Oregon still should receive between $1.8 million and $2 mil lion this year. An important aspect of Sports Action is that 70 percent of the funds will go for non-revenue sports and 50 percent of that money will go for women's sports. Currently the football and men’s basketball teams, the only revenue sports, have to fund all of the other sports such as volleyball, golf and wrestling. Money from the football and basketball programs can then go to other things such as the completion of the Len Casanova complex, or building more skyboxes at Autzen Stadi um. Sales were slow during the game’s opening week, but sales increased by more than 50 percent during the second week. Byrne feels that the game will continue to grow as more people become accustomed to Sports Action. Sports Action ts a very necessary step for college sports in this state. Funding for state sports is a proce dure that the legislature should have taken up long ago. Hopefully Sports Action will be around for many years to come so that intercollegiate athletics in Ore gon’s state colleges will continue to exist. Oregon l)uil\ I* (I H..x »Is operated independently of the University with offices on the third floor of the E»b Memorial Union and is a member of the Asso< iated Press The Emerald is private property The unlawful removal or use of papers is pros ecu table by taw Associate Editors Community Hon Walker Student Government/Activities Brian Bioch Higher E ducation Administration Chris, Bouneff Features Oemse Clifton Reporteis Join* Andra Je Polly Campbell Peter Cogswei Ashley Conklin Dan fc filer Catherine Hawley Stephanie Holland Jams Joseph Layne Lakefish, Gam Sivestnd Alice Thornton Photographers Steve Card Bn H.n 'fs Advertising Sales David Campbe Maureen Bernadelli Shell ie Hagen David Hansen Scott Me A. > Amy Mdtelstaedl Melissa Nelson Saum Partovi Virgi a Pear r Eiise Sharon Kristi Stother Edward Wenick Production Jennifer A* ner Jed Clark A, e Cannon Can: Dopp Jim Finch Margo Fr.e klm. Yvette Gill Je der Huey Linda Klaastad Jim Mason Wendy Morns Angela Mum.’ Camille Pansew. Anna Rembecki Janet Schober Ted Shepler Scott Smith Cadlin Stark Jennifer Thomas Jennifer Vale Ingrid White Kelly Williams General Staff Advertising Director • .n The . Assistant lo the Publisher i Production Manager V. * , • Advertising Coordinator i i < • Accounts Receivable Circulation Newsroom 686 SS11 Classified Advertising 686 4343 Display Advertising 686 3712 Production Graphic Services 686 4381 Editor Thomas Pr wet Managing Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Encore Editor AWheeler News Editor Don Peters Sports Christopher Blair Tracy Sumner Dana Jackson Alice Wheeler Mark Ylen Supplements Editor Kelvin Wee Night Editor ,