According to a Long Beach State academic database, some of the major concerns in collegiate sports are graduation rates, money scandals and the lack of support for women’s sports. One athletic team has been hit with a concern, so questions arise if the others are happening on campus as well.
Arturas Lazdauskas, a sophomore on the 49ers’ men’s basketball team, is just one of the many players being penalized for prior violations committed by the school’s former coaching staff.
According to a press release, the team was placed on three years probation by the NCAA for improper benefits, impermissible transportation and telephone contact between student-athletes and former coaches Larry Reynolds, Reggie Howard, Brent Bargen and Scott Waterman. The coaches also were cited for unethical conduct from August 2005 to August 2006, and all 18 wins from the 2005-06 season were vacated.
“People don’t really know what happened and they look at us like we are the bad guys who did all those things – we aren’t,” Lazdauskas said. “Some people cheat. I don’t know why but they just do.”
CSULB President F. King Alexander has an extensive background when it comes to sports. Once a two-sport collegiate athlete, Alexander always has had a vested interest in the sports programs where he has worked. He presently continues to be active in sports by playing basketball in the Gold Mine Gym during his lunch breaks.
Alexander stressed the education but realizes there are situations where athletes might make an early exit to gain a better opportunity. One example would be Evan Longoria, a former LBSU baseball player who is now the third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays.
“About 10-15 years ago, I felt that they should stay and get their degree, but if the resources and revenue is good enough I think they should pursue their dreams,” Alexander said. “What do you tell a kid making an $18 million contract?”
Alexander said he encourages athletes like Longoria to come back and finish during the off-season.
In regards to graduation rates, Alexander addressed the fact that about 63 percent of the athletes in the LBSU sports program graduate within the six-year standard. He also stated that there are programs put in place for the athletes, such as study halls and weekly academic advising. Sophomore women’s basketball player Ally Wade said it’s one of the advantages over students who are not on athletic teams.
“We don’t have to schedule our classes,” Wade said, “and that is the biggest thing because of practice and the games.”
As the school year is coming to a close, it will be interesting to see what the 2008-09 year has in store for LBSU sports. With the men’s basketball team on thin ice and the women still receiving little or no support, it seems that basketball at LBSU has concerns on the fan support of the two programs. Men’s basketball averaged 1,942 in attendance per game at the Walter Pyramid this past season, while women’s basketball averaged 735 per game in the same venue.
“We are treated equally by the faculty, but when it comes to support from the student body we don’t see much,” Wade said. “But I understand men’s sports are more exciting than the women’s.”
Volleyball, however, was the lone exception last season. Women’s volleyball was able to attract more fans at the Walter Pyramid than the men’s volleyball team. Both programs have successful seasons and earned NCAA Tournament bids, but slightly more fans (1,266 per match) attended women’s volleyball matches than men’s volleyball matches (1,105 per match).
Alexander said the support for women’s teams is growing on campus, but his concern was the actual support and attendance at games, which he plans on addressing within the community.
“We are one of the only schools in the country that offer more women’s scholarships than men,” Alexander said. “Sixty-one percent of our scholarships go towards women’s athletics.”
Bobby Chore contributed to this report.
