CSUN’s Option Play Sank Ponciano

Slush funds. Illegal barbecues. Fraudulent expense reports. Improper actions by coaches.

It’s all there in the long-awaited Cal State Northridge report detailing NCAA infractions committed by the school’s football program.

The 130-page report, released Wednesday, spews all that went wrong under former coach Ron Ponciano, who was fired July 16.

It paints Ponciano as a shady character bent on championing the football program’s cause, rules be damned. It attacks everything from his integrity to his vices--chewing tobacco--with documentation to back it up.

What the report doesn’t explicitly mention is why it chose to fire Ponciano and force out former offensive coordinator Rob Phenicie, rather than slap them with less-severe penalties.

Louanne Kennedy, Northridge’s interim president, said Ponciano was dismissed because all the molehill violations amounted to a mountain of serious infractions. It was the quantity, not necessarily the quality, that made the difference.

If that’s the case, the university seemingly has the goods on Ponciano, who continues to challenge and deny the more serious allegations. He blasted the report and again hinted at taking legal action against Northridge.

“I stand 100% firm on what I said before, that, obviously, [the report is] something they’ve got to do to justify their actions,� said Ponciano, who is preparing to leave for McPherson (Kan.) College, an NAIA Division II school where he was hired as defensive coordinator.

The report says Ponciano misappropriated--another way of saying he stole--$3,260 in travel cash advances when he was a Northridge assistant in 1996.

It says Ponciano knew or should have known about money being funneled to an off-campus slush fund.

It says Ponciano broke several NCAA rules while recruiting an out-of-state player.

Let’s assume those allegations are valid. As a whole, and combined with other minor violations, they constitute major violations by NCAA standards.

But the NCAA rulebook lists four options, subject to exceptions authorized by the committee on infractions, that an institution might choose in dealing with a staff member who knowingly engaged or condoned a major violation.

The options are termination of employment, suspension without pay for at least one year, reassignment of duties within the institution or other disciplinary action approved by the committee.

Northridge chose the first option, focusing heavily on the misuse of funds, also known as fraud.

Which brings to memory the episode involving Blenda J. Wilson, the former Northridge president, who was found in a Cal State University audit in October to have exerted “undue influence� over campus laborers who moved furniture for her husband’s business on days the workers were being paid by the school.

The furniture was moved over two days in November 1997 in a truck leased by the university with funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for earthquake repairs.

Could that be considered fraud? Wilson wasn’t fired over it.

As for the many NCAA violations blamed on Ponciano, he is not the first nor will he be the last football coach busted for bending the rules. And most, even after committing serious offenses, keep their jobs.

If what Northridge claims is true, Ponciano’s conduct was reprehensible and displayed a monumental lack of judgment. But he didn’t deserve to be fired. The school could have hit him hard with other sanctions and warned him to behave or else.

After all, most of the mess would have been avoided had Northridge exercised tighter institutional control, a point the NCAA likely will drive home when it reviews the report and determines if the self-imposed penalties are sufficient.

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As the Northridge report became public on Wednesday, freshmen and transfers were on the practice field adjacent to North Campus Stadium, getting training camp off to a smooth start.

About 35 players took part in the two-a-day workouts, with the returning players scheduled to report today. The incoming group includes heralded running back Marquis Brignac from Taft High and defensive back Travis Campbell from Westlake.

“It’s getting back in the flow of playing football,� said Brignac, the Times’ back of the year last season after running for 1,855 yards and 18 touchdowns. “It’s camp. I’m ready to play.�

Campbell, an All-Marmonte League wide receiver the last three seasons, said it was good to put the turmoil surrounding the program behind. Like many others during the three-month investigation, he worried about the program and whether he made the right choice to play at Northridge.

But Campbell and Brignac said they never wavered in their commitment to join the Matadors.

“I think if we get the community and the student body behind us, we’ll have a great season,� Campbell said. “I came here because I love the game.�

The Matadors, under interim Coach Jeff Kearin, host Western Oregon in a nonconference opener on Sept. 4.

Kearin is drawing from his days as a USC assistant to round out his staff.

Among the latest additions are David Robinson, son of former Trojan coach John Robinson, as defensive line coach.

Robinson was a USC assistant from 1993-97 and was an assistant at College of the Desert last year.

“I’m just happy to be here,� Robinson said. “I just want to coach the players and have some fun with Jeff.�

Kearin said he’s trying to persuade Charles White, Heisman Trophy winner at USC in 1979 and City co-player of the year at San Fernando in 1975, to coach the running backs.

“He is a very good football coach and would be a huge addition to this club,� Kearin said.