DATE: Monday, August 25, 1997               TAG: 9708250152

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SERIES: NSU STADIUM 

SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:  111 lines

NSU'S NEW LEADER IS AN UNABASHED FAN BUT IF SPARTAN COACHES FAIL, PRESIDENT MARIE MCDEMMOND VOWS TO STEP IN.

Like her predecessor, new Norfolk State University president Marie McDemmond is an unabashed football fan. She loves the Florida Gators and Dallas Cowboys. Her son, a football and track star at a Florida prep school, spent much of his summer lifting weights with Spartan players.

``I will attend every Norfolk State football game, home and away,'' said McDemmond, a New Orleans native. ``I'm a football addict.''

But that doesn't mean she will run her athletic program as did Harrison Wilson, who as president of NSU for 22 years was also a rabid football follower.

McDemmond promises big changes to NSU's athletic program, and not just because the Spartans have moved into Division I. She has instituted a freeze on new athletic spending and promises to put the debt-ridden program on sound financial footing.

A self-professed feminist, she has ordered a study to see if the school provides equal opportunity for women athletes. If not, the school will expand women's sports.

She says she will not follow Wilson's hands-on philosophy of running the athletic program. But if administrators and coaches don't do their jobs during her first year, she promises to step in.

Some questions and answers from NSU's new No. 1 football fan, who came to Norfolk last month from Boca Raton, Fla., where she was vice president for finance at Florida Atlantic University:

This athletic program has been run essentially by the president's office, and not the athletic director. Will you maintain that kind of control?

That's not going to continue to happen. The coaches and athletic director will run the program and hopefully they will do a great job. If they don't, we'll get a new athletic director and new coaches. That goes for every position at the university, because we're going to do the best job we have with the resources we have. . . . Clearly, you can't run athletics from this building.

The decisions to move up to Division I and the MEAC were made prior to your arrival here. Would you have done the same thing?

I would have probably had some more analysis of financial data and the impact of going Division I on the university. I know when we went Division I at Florida Atlantic University, the board of regents mandated a lot of very in-depth analysis. I'm not sure that was done here. I probably would have relied much more on what data would have told me.

You've seen the proposed athletic budget for NSU. Can the school afford to be in Division I?

It's going to be tight for us this year - very, very tight. It's tight because we started off with a $1.2 million deficit. That debt is being financed. . . . Would I like to run it that way? No. I believe that athletics must have its own positive cash reserve. But I'm optimistic that the stadium will be full, at least three to four of our home games. That will bring in the revenue that we project.

We are putting a deficit reduction program in place with a freeze on athletics. We're honoring all of our commitments, but we're making sure we're not overspending our budgets.

What happens if you determine in a year or two that Norfolk State can't afford to remain in Division I? Is there a fallback position? Could you go back to Division II and the CIAA?

I don't know if you can ever go back to Division II. I know a few schools have done it, but a very few. I have a goal for Norfolk State to make it the premiere state-supported HBC (Historically Black College). I think the only serious contender we have is FAMU (Florida A&M) and they are Division I. I would really want us to stay at the top level in all competition of sports.

What is your philosophy on athletics and their purpose on a college campus?

I believe athletics is an integral part of any university environment and I believe our athletic teams must win. I'm a very positive person about the ability of our sports teams to win here. I do believe, however, students are here to learn first. The academic environment is the number one environment.

Several years ago, The Virginian-Pilot did a study that revealed there were two male athletes for every female athlete at NSU, which would appear to be in violation Title IX. How do you feel about the gender-equity movement, and do you plan any changes in women's sports at NSU?

I'm a very strong feminist. I believe in gender equity in everything. Florida Atlantic University had the best record on gender equity throughout the state university system. We really worked hard. We had some great women's athletes. I believe we have to, not just because it's the law, but because I believe it's the right thing. . . . We will start a Title IX review so that we will know where we stand. If we are deficient, we will lay out a plan to fund what we need to be on par with Title VI.

Years ago, NSU and Old Dominion had a spirited basketball rivalry. So far, there are no plans to renew the rivalry. Do you plan to take this up with ODU president James V. Koch?

I believe we ought to have a good hometown rivalry (with ODU). I'm told we used to play basketball and filled Scope a lot of times. I would really like to see a good, healthy hometown rivalry. But president Koch and I haven't talked about that yet.

NSU has hired a private fund-raising firm to increase donations to the university. Most Division I schools do their own fund raising through an athletic foundation. Will NSU eventually do its own fund raising?

Yes, and all fund raising will have to be increased. The athletic foundation will make a donation to us during the year, which will be a sizable gift, since they haven't given us much before. We're even encouraging our employees to give through payroll deduction as I do.

Norfolk State is predominantly an African-American school, and so is its athletic following. Will there be any efforts made to expand your fan base?

Yes. We want the community to feel this is its school and its team. Football fans are not limited to one race. People of all colors love football. We want them all to come to our games. MEMO: Tuesday: A look at Norfolk State's new conferencem the MEAC. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

NHAT MYER

The Virginian-Pilot

Marie McDemmond

NSU President

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