PSU Magazine Winter 1995

The University is taking a hard look at the fan, dollar, and student support needed to move to the Big Sky Conference. By Brian White eachingfor theBigS r's mid-November. PortlanJ State's football team ha just completed an -2 eason and is readying for the playoffs. But Vikings athletic director Randy Nordlof '79 m~ust already begin planning for the year ahead- and he' not too pleased about rbe prospects of putting together a 1995 foo tball chedu le. " omehow, somewhere, we' ll get a schedule,'' Nordlof grumble in hi offi ce. "But it may be June before we know for ·ure." Nordlof winces becau e he ha secured only five of 10 foo tball matches as of mid -November. He'd like to have a set schedule as soon as poss ible, so h can start the football program's 1995 recruiting and marketing campaigns. Because P U 's Di vision II foot ball team i· not affili ated with a conference, as embling a schedule ha been a yearly adventure in geography and a re t of patience for ordlof. The number of Di vision Il independent foo tball teams i· dwindling nat ionwide, so Nordl of must literally look from coast to coast to find teams that can fit PSU into their schedule. Scheduling would be a snap if PSU were part of the Big ky onference. The Boise-based, eight-team Big Sky is on the minds of many people as ociated with P U athl eti cs these days. Why? Beca u ea PSU- Big ky marriage could make ense fo r both parties. The Big ky is los ing at least one key member, Bo ise State Uni versity, in fall 1996 and is looking for a replace– ment- preferably in a large market. P U, meanwhile, wants to jo in a c nference to solve its scheduling prob lem , reduce travel costs and establi'l1 legitimate ri va lries-rivalries that could increase fan support and benefit the entire athletics program. Also, by mov ing to the Big Sky, P U sports teams would be rising to the Di vision! leve l (Division I-AA in football)-which mean a hi gher ca liber of athletic competiti on. "If you look at the institutions in the West that might be candidates to jo in the Big ky, P U is like cream on milk- it ri es to the top," ays Big Sky Commiss ioner Ron tephen on. The big if in all thi · and it is a big, BIG if- is money. P U would likel y need $1.2 million to $ 1.4 million per year extra to join the Big ky. A large chunk-about $475 ,000 to $500,000 a year-woukl go toward putting a men's basketball program together. The Big Sky requires men's basket– ball as a "core sport" for it member . PSU would also be required to add men's indoor track and rcnni · teams, and women's indoor track. PSU President Judith Ramaley ha · made it clear that if P U moves to the Big ky, it will do so with no additi nal Uni ver ity fund and no additional rudent fee revenue . In October, she appointed a 14-member Ad Hoc Committee to study the financi al feasibility of PSU joining the Big Sky. The committee is expected to report its WINTER 1995 5