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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend July 10, 2005 SOU President Dr. Elisabeth Zinser says dropping the football program has been a �no-brainer� suggestion made periodically during her four years. But she says such a drastic move would do more harm than good and it is not a serious consideration at the m Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Forced to scramble Recent struggles in scheduling and funding have SOU administrators searching for options for its independent football program By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune ASHLAND — While it may seem preposterous to consider eliminating the football program at Southern Oregon University, that is one of several options that has been debated as the Ashland school looks to stabilize an unsteady situation. Financial constraints that limit state-funded institutions and scheduling dilemmas created by a lack of conference affiliation have put the future of SOU’s football program in question. While the Raiders’ 11 other NAIA athletic programs have thrived as members of the Cascade Conference, the football program has increasingly found itself fighting an uphill battle thanks to its independent status since the Columbia Football Association (CFA) disbanded in 1998. Advertisement The headache of filling a budget-conscious schedule and still be able to challenge for postseason play, in part, cost SOU its second-winningest coach in school history this past April. It’s unclear what else may be lost should the Raiders continue down their current path. SOU President Dr. Elisabeth Zinser says dropping the football program has been a "no-brainer" suggestion made periodically during her four years, akin to lopping off a decaying branch to ensure the entire plant continues to grow. "It’s a logical one," Zinser says of the drastic solution. "If you’re going to lay out all the options, it’s got to be on the table. Is it on the table as a serious consideration at the administration level, no, because I don’t see a cause to do that right now. In fact, I see more harm than good by doing that. I think our valley and our environment really does appreciate football." As well they should considering Southern Oregon is only two seasons removed from its second straight trip to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Championship Series. The Raiders have posted records of 5-4 and 3-6 since. "Starting in 1999, it has progressively gotten much more challenging," Jeff Olson says of the head coaching job he vacated three months ago. In nine seasons at the helm, Olson posted a 50-36 record, tied a program record with five straight winning seasons (1999-2003) and guided the Raiders to the quarterfinals in 2001 and ‘02. All told, he spent 24 years at SOU as a player, assistant coach and head coach and is quick to point out he departed many fond memories. But the off-field challenges as an independent program increasingly wore on the affable coach, and he moved on to become the defensive coordinator at North Medford High. Shay McClure, defensive coordinator under Olson the past three seasons, was named SOU’s interim head football coach in May. "Scheduling is a very time-consuming, demanding part of the job under the current format," says Olson, who struggled to nail down nine games the past few seasons. For 2002, 2003 and this fall’s campaign, Olson had to slate two contests per year against NCAA Division II Humboldt State to reach nine games. "The challenge we face is we go into every season looking for nine or 10 nonconference games instead of three or four like we would if we were in a conference," adds Olson. "And we’re not in a position where we can offer a substantial guarantee to bring schools in here to play us." Only seven of the 93 other NAIA football programs reside in the West Coast or Pacific Northwest regions. Six comprise the Montana-based Frontier Conference, including Eastern Oregon University, and the seventh is fellow independent Azusa Pacific of California. Among NCAA Division II football programs, there are two in California (Humboldt State and University of California-Davis), one in Oregon (Western Oregon) and two in Washington (Central Washington and Western Washington). At the NCAA Division III level, private institutions Linfield, Lewis & Clark College and Willamette make up the Oregon contingent. Also in the West Region are Washington’s Pacific Lutheran University, Puget Sound and Whitworth College. Nine others are in California, including independent Menlo College of Atherton, Calif. While a lack of local competition might not be an issue for some, Olson says SOU’s operating budget in football — funded entirely by student fees — was about $100,000 last season. When you consider chartering a flight for a road game costs about $40,000, according to Olson, it’s easy to understand why the Raiders twice endured bus trips to Montana in 2004 that took 24 hours one way. "You do the math," Olson says. "A couple air flights and you don’t have a whole lot left to deal with." Throw in the fact that SOU has made a name for itself on a national level thanks to its playoff runs and the exploits of NAIA record-setting tailbacks Dusty McGrorty and Griff Yates, Olson says, and the cash-strapped Raiders have found that Interstate 5 "only seems to go one way: away from Ashland." The whole situation cries out for a solution. If only it were that simple. "Frankly, the options are very, very limited," says Zinser. "When you really examine each one of them, almost every option requires not only some thought on our part on how we might overcome some hurdles to accomplish that, but it also implies that certain changes need to happen in the world of football in the West. And we don’t have control of those things right now." Southern Oregon’s most logical option — joining the NAIA’s Frontier Conference — was pursued beginning in 2003 to no avail. Zinser and then-athletic director Phil Pifer put together what they believed was an innovative plan to offset travel costs for the Montana-based league but were turned down. Shortly thereafter, Eastern Oregon was accepted into the conference. "We did due diligence, and it wasn’t the right time, so that was the end of that conversation," says Zinser. While concerns over travel costs and scheduling — the Frontier currently plays a double round-robin slate — aren’t likely to be appeased any time soon, that doesn’t mean the prospect of joining the conference will be abandoned. One month ago, Albertson College in Caldwell, Idaho, postponed a potential revival of its football program for two years, but it has had ongoing discussions with the Frontier Conference about becoming a football-only member like Eastern Oregon. Adding Albertson would mean the conference would have to abandon its round-robin format, making it more likely the Frontier might be willing to expand even further. Another wait-and-see scenario involves the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), which includes Humboldt State, Western Oregon, Central Washington and Western Washington. Like the Frontier, the GNAC also uses a double round-robin format — with Humboldt State already playing nonconference home and away games with SOU each year. In order to play a "regional" schedule, Central Washington and Western Washington have entered into a scheduling agreement with the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NCIAC), which boasts teams in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Nebraska. "The single biggest issue we all have is getting games," says Central Washington Athletic Director Jack Bishop. "The second biggest is getting Division II games." The third might revolve around what happens in the GNAC. "I think everybody’s on the lookout for what’s best for them and what’s best for us collectively," says Bishop, who is also on the NCAA Division II championship committee. "Right now I think we’re investigating everything. I can’t project what’s going to happen, but I know all of us need to find a solution of some sort." That may involve both Washington schools leaving the GNAC for the NCIAC — leaving Western Oregon and Humboldt State out in the cold — or a solution Bishop favors: adding SOU and a couple others to the GNAC, but only as Division II affiliates so each school could still qualify for the playoffs. Therein lies the rub for the Raiders, who have enough trouble keeping up with the Joneses at the NAIA level. With $40,000 from its booster club and $25,000 from tuition remissions authorized by the president, SOU was able to fund 5½ scholarships this past season. A maximum of 24 scholarships is allowed at the NAIA level and 36 at NCAA Division II. For comparison, Bishop says Central Washington doled out 18 scholarships in football last season. Phil Pifer, who stepped down as SOU’s AD in January, was wary of going Division II, as Western Oregon did. "We quite frankly knew if we did what Western Oregon did, we’d be in the same boat they are now struggling to compete," he says. "Here we’re really working hard and setting fund-raising records for four years and we’re nowhere near close to fully funding even the NAIA (scholarship) allotment." Western Oregon went 1-9 last season and was outscored by an average of 41-17. The Wolves, who advanced to the NAIA Championship Series as the CFA champs in 1997, have not posted a winning season since joining the Division II ranks in 2001, going 14-25 (.359). Should the Washington schools vacate the GNAC, the potential is there for Western Oregon, Humboldt State, Southern Oregon, Azusa Pacific and possibly Menlo College to form a conference at the NAIA level. Another option involves SOU seeking an NCAA Division II exemption in football only to join the current GNAC grouping, and that carries with it a considerable amount of red tape. "Currently, they don’t allow those dual classifications," says SOU Director of Athletics Dr. Dennis Francois, "but I think as things continue and the NCAA realizes these issues that are out there, they’ll be open for those discussions and exploring that option." Should SOU be granted such an exemption, and Francois says that option stands to be pushed more by those in the NCAA Division II ranks, the university would most likely request that the GNAC come to a mutual understanding to cap scholarships in football to try to level the playing field. Maybe the most immediate solution for SOU is to seek a "money game" at the site of an NCAA Division I-AA program like Portland State or Idaho State. The funds generated from such a game — which figures to be a lopsided victory on the field for the host and cash windfall off the field for the visitor — could offset travel costs as the Raiders try to fill their NAIA independent slate. It’s a philosophical choice Pifer and Olson weren’t keen on, but Francois says he’s open to the possibility. "I honestly think in our competitive years we can go out there and put on a good showing in that kind of a game," says Francois. "If we are a competitive team and a top-10 (NAIA) team like we’ve shown in the past, we should be able to go have a respectable showing at some of these schools and still bring home a paycheck and also not sustain injuries." Francois says a net profit of at least $30,000 would be needed for a money game to serve SOU’s purpose. "We’d definitely shop around and see what would be the best deal for us," says Francois, who would likely use the extra funds to entice other NAIA teams to come to Ashland by offsetting their travel costs. "Going up to Portland or Idaho and coming home with 10 grand isn’t going to do much for us." The Catch-22 of a money game is that SOU figures to suffer a loss, and it can’t afford too many of those to be eligible for the NAIA playoffs. NAIA teams must be ranked in the top 20 in order to make the 16-team playoffs, and only the highest ranked independent team is eligible. There’s also a safety factor going up against physically bigger and more athletic players. "It’s not a great situation, but it’s an option we have," says Francois, who says he’ll begin a national search for a permanent football coach in the fall, and openness to a money game will be a factor. It’s an indication that SOU administrators are pursuing every option. "Right now the window’s not really open," says Zinser. "While the window isn’t open, you stay inside and you do the best you can while it’s raining and you have fun. I’m proud of our program for taking that attitude, but you’re always looking for that opportunity to open a window, and that’s what Dennis and I will be doing increasingly. At some point, hopefully some luck will break and we’ll be able to make some moves." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail Forced to scramble ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s