PC's schedules reduced

Porterville College’s adjustments to the new state budget didn’t end with the stipend slashing.

The Pirates, along with every other California junior college team, have had to trim games off each of their sports’ schedules.

In addition to the $15,000 saved with the coaching stipend cuts, PC reduced its travel budget by $10,000 for the upcoming year. More games are likely to come off the Pirates’ schedules next year as well.

“The seasons will probably be even shorter in the next year or two,” Athletic Director Eric Mendoza said. “That’s what all of us are anticipating.”

The California Community College Athletic Association’s Competition Committee listed 10 cost containment recommendations for teams to follow starting this fall.

Included in the list was a 15 percent schedule reduction for teams with 12 to 30 games on their schedules, which includes PC’s volleyball team, softball team and both of its basketball teams. It also called for a 20 percent reduction for sports with more than 30 games. The Pirate baseball team falls into this category, having played 40 games in 2009.

JUCO schools with football programs will only lose 10 percent of their games, which amounts to the loss of a preseason scrimmage.

Volleyball dropped from 22 games to 20 while men’s basketball will play just 24 games (28 last year), with the women playing 23 as opposed to the 30 a season ago.

The CCCAA also advises schools to schedule more men’s and women’s basketball doubleheaders and limit the number of weekend games to prevent potential overtime pay.

Fans of both basketball teams will now find it harder to support them in person as a result of this reduction. The men’s team played five non-conference home games last season before the new year. They don’t have any this season.

The women’s squad suited up in front of its home fans four times in non-CVC action in 2008, but will do so just once this season. Both teams only have six home games this season.

PC, due to Cabrillo dropping out due to travel costs, will not host its season-opening basketball tournament this season. Both teams will hit the road instead. Reedley and San Diego Mesa were set to play in the tournament, but once Cabrillo dropped out, it fell apart.

“A lot of schools are (cutting) overnight trips. Cabrillo pulling out affected us indirectly because another school wasn’t willing to travel,” Mendoza said.

The school also had to nix the men’s team’s two-game stint in San Diego over the Holiday Break.

Volleyball will travel overnight twice this season after doing so three times in 2008.

“That $10,000 in travel that we lost is a huge blow because that pays for hotels, meals for teams and trips to tournaments,” Mendoza said. “It costs about $1,000 to put a team (in a hotel) for a day.”

All departments will be cutting back on travel as well with faculty attending fewer workshops and conferences and students going on less field trips, Mendoza added.