Senior regent against athletics at CCSN

Friday, May 8, 1998 | 10:10 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Intercollegiate athletics have no place in a community college, according to senior regent Dorothy Gallagher of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

"Athletics are not included in the mission of the community college," the Elko resident said this week.

Gallagher, who filed for a fourth term to represent all or parts of 12 counties in rural Nevada, voted with other regents for a study of the feasibility of starting either intercollegiate or intramural sports at the Community College of Southern Nevada. "I rarely vote against a feasibility study," she said.

But she made it clear she won't support an athletic program for CCSN.

"Very few people who enroll at the community college would go into athletics," she said.

Gallagher added she has heard comments that an athletic program at the community college would become a farm team for UNLV. She said that would prompt the hiring of a high profile coach to recruit athletes to the Las Vegas campus of CCSN.

"When Bob Cashell was chairman (of the regents) and I was legislative liaison, we promised the Legislature there would be no athletics at the community colleges.

"If I vote for it now, I would be breaking my word and I don't intend to do that," she said.

The regents, at their meeting last week in Fallon, directed CCSN President Richard Moore to appoint a committee of faculty, students and community representatives to study the issue and report back in August.

Doug Seastrand, a candidate for regents from North Las Vegas, said, "I will have to see how that will help or benefit the college."

Steve Sisolak, a candidate for the regents from Las Vegas, said he would support athletics if the need can be shown and the money is available.

Both made their comments earlier this week when filing for election.

The study was pushed by Regent Shelley Berkley of Las Vegas who said there is solid support in Clark County for athletics at the community college. The backing comes not only from students, she said but also from faculty.

Berkley said the money for an athletic program initially would come from private donations, adding there probably would be a need for state funds later as the program develops.

At one time there were basketball teams at the Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno and the Great Basin Community College in Elko but they withered away.