Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 6, 1990 TAG: 9004060090
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORMAN, OKLA. LENGTH: Medium
The announcement by President Richard Van Horn and athletic director Donnie Duncan was greeted by cheers from members of the women's basketball team, who attended the news conference. The announcement came a day after attorneys for the players threatened to file a lawsuit.
Van Horn said the outpouring of public support for the program, as well as the state senate's resolution condemning the university for its action, were more of a factor than the threat of the suit.
But team captain Tammy Rogers said it appeared to be more than a coincidence that the program was reinstated on the day the suit was to have been filed.
"I think it made the decision come a lot quicker than maybe they wanted it to," Rogers said.
Attorney Arthur H. Bryant, executive director of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, said, "This is an enormous victory for the student-athletes, women's sports and everyone who believes in equal opportunity for women."
Van Horn said school officials started to rethink the decision to eliminate the women's basketball program after Tuesday's Senate action and the public outcry. He also said there are no plans to consider disbanding women's basketball in the near future.
Van Horn and Duncan said they had planned to reallocate the money to other women's sports, giving more women an opportunity to take part in athletics. They said women's basketball had a budget of $300,000, which represents about a quarter of the total budget for women's athletics while involving 13 to 15 players.
Last week's decision to disband the program created a furor. The Women's Basketball Coaches Association threatened a lawsuit and players rallied on campus in an attempt to save the program.
Attorneys for the players said the disbanding violated the Title IX provision of federal law requiring equal opportunities for women in college athletics.
Oklahoma players had gone to athletic officials asking for a re-evaluation of the program after losing records the past two seasons. Oklahoma was 7-22 this season, Valerie Goodwin-Colbert's third year as coach. Her record at Oklahoma is 32-51.
The players were jubilant about the decision to reinstate women's basketball.
"I am so happy," said junior Elissa Walker. "We fight for them and all we wanted for them to do was to fight for us. All we wanted was for them to re-evaluate the program. We had no idea they would drop it. We're glad we're back."
Assistant athletic director Don Jimerson said the women's basketball team never developed much of a following in its 16-year history. The average attendance at the end of the season was about 50.
State Sen. Darryl Roberts said university officials had decided to appoint a commission to study the overall women's athletic program at the school and ways to improve the program.
He said university officials apparently had decided to eliminate the program after "focusing narrowly on such things as attendance and ticket sales instead of taking a broader view about what could be done to improve the program."
by CNB