Men’s Tennis Becomes 2nd Northridge Program to Be Eliminated in 3 Weeks

A lack of funds--as well as victories--has caused Cal State Northridge to drop men’s tennis, it was announced Saturday.

CSUN men’s athletic director Bob Hiegert, who made the recommendation earlier this week, put part of the blame on the Matadors’ failure to establish a successful program. CSUN won its only men’s national championship in 1969. This season, the Matadors had a 12-8 record but finished fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

Hiegert said that the decision to keep the women’s team was to retain balance between the number of men’s and women’s sports. CSUN, which three weeks ago eliminated women’s gymnastics, is left with nine men’s and seven women’s sports.

CSUN Coach Tony Davila, who will remain coach of the women’s team, has coached the men’s team for two years. Dropping the men’s program, Davila said, “is depressing. On an emotional level it’s like losing a friend. And for the young men, it’s causing them to have to re-adjust their lives.