Pierce sports surviving budget cuts

This year the COA revised community colleges’ budget in an effort to help the campuses better accommodate their sports programs without having to eliminate them completely. 

The state proclaimed that community colleges undergo cost containment, where every sport is cut their number of allowable contests.

Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lofrano explains that the effect of the heinous budget cuts on Pierce athletics is unnoticeable.  

“We took one assistant coach from each team, with the exception of football where two assistant coaches were released. It all added up to a savings between $80,000 to $90,000”, said Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lofrano.

Lofrano stated that, according to the Commission on Athletics, a college football team can have up to but not exceed six assistant coaches.   

He further stated  that Pierce is doing well because, while some community college campuses have cut entire athletic sports programs, Pierce was able to appease the budget situation by only having to cut a number of assistant coaches. 

“A school is better off not dropping a sport because, if you drop a sport, it’s probably not going to come back,” said Lofrano.

Some community colleges are feeling the brunt of the state’s budget proposal more than others. 

Every school has an individual budget and colleges such as Moorpark College and Los Angeles City College, who dropped every sport except women’s volleyball, are making drastic changes to athletics in an effort to meet their school budget.

Activities, along with other elements, that were once considered essential to sports teams’ well-being and development have been put on the back burner instead of the athletics program as a whole. 

“Football scrimmages were wiped out due to the budget. We also had to cut down on equipment,” said Valley College Academic/Athletic Support Program Coordinator and football Defensive Line coach, Julio Gramajo.

Gramajo describes the budget’s affect on athletics as something that has been ongoing but, not at the current rate. He also feels that the budget cut on the academic programs and classes weighed more heavily on some athletes. 

“The second summer session being cut affected athletes because some athletes were depending on the semester to catch up with their GPA. That impacted a lot of the sports because it delayed students being able to transfer. Some are being forced to take a year off and red shirt,” said Gramajo. 

Aside from the newly proposed budget cuts taking away the much needed second summer session, some colleges are eliminating sports programs on campuses because they are becoming less of a commodity.

Schools are targeting different areas to meet the budget demand.

 “Nothing’s a perfect scenario. Everyone has to bite the bullet,” said Lofrano.

 

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