MONDAY,AUG.20,2001
ON THE HILL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 7C
Tennis: Death knell sounded after money, recruiting problems
CONTINUED FROM 6C
McKinley will be married in two ceremonies, one in Olathe Oct. 23 and one in Monterrey, Mexico, Nov. 3—her new home. McKinley met Arbaroa on a blind date set up by a woman on the rowing team.
Missina lvnch pin
The men's program came close to securing a home at the University, with an indoor facility.
"My single biggest frustration in 10 years was that we didn't get an indoor facility built," Perelman said. "A good portion of the money was ready to go. We were so close. In hindsight, if we had built an indoor facility, it would have been a lot tougher for them to cut the program."
But other University projects took precedence in University approval and land allocation. For example, Anschutz sports pavilion, and improvements to Allen Fieldhouse and Memorial Stadium, Perelman said.
He said the best chance was in the 1987-1988 season, right after the men's team won back-to-back Big 8 titles, and when KU won the NCAA basketball championship in 1988.
Perelman was close to former men's basketball coach Larry Brown.
"We were friends," he said. "He was the best man at my wedding. I learned a great deal about coaching from him."
Perelman went on to coach at the University of Tennessee, then he coached professional player Chris Woodruff on the tour for seven years.
"I thought if we had success, things would start to snowball," he said. "I really think that indoor facility would have propelled us."
Perelman and Cen-
coaches raised money for their programs.
He worked with John Hadl of the Williams Fund, to devise a system in which money a program raised could be put directly back into that program, instead of into a collective pot.
"My feeling was if we wanted to be successful at the national level we needed that," he said. "Both programs developed into top 20 teams.
When Perelman arrived, the teams had a part-time coach. The men's team was at the bottom of the Big 8. It ranked as high as 12th in the NCAA during his tenure.
Center followed Perelman as coach and vigorously continued raising money for the program.
But money dwindled.
"From what I understand, after Center left, a lot of contacts weren't kept up,"Perelman said. Money Game
Center said he was shocked that tennis supporters weren't given more time. He said Big 12 officials also were frustrated at the sudden announcement and might require schools that drop a program to give at least two years notice.
"It was a program that was around for
"You have to look at your resources.When you have 20 programs and two make money,
you have to make some tough decisions. Basketball revenue is maxed out. While we
ter had each scoured the state to raise money to sustain men's tennis.
looked at our potential with a soldout football stadium, it still doesn't work
it still doesn't work out. Something's got to
give.'
Richard Konzem associate athletics director
it was around for about a hundred years, and in about a month it's no more." Center said.
Perelman said the chancellor and athletics director could have wielded the power to raise funds, saving the program.
said.
"I think that if the chancellor and athletics director would sit down in front of enough people, then I think there would have been a lot of people who would have bellied up to the line," Perelman
Men's tennis has a maximum of four and a half scholarships for a roster about twice that number. The University has about 550 student athletes.
"I don't believe they explored all options, I also believe that they waited for a crisis to act."
John Stauffer Father of former KU tennis player
Richard Konzem, associate athletics director, said the basketball and football programs must carry a heavy financial burden.
"You have to look at your resources," he said. "When you have 20 programs and two make money, you have to make some tough decisions. Basketball revenue is maxed out. While we looked at our potential with a sold-out football stadium, it still doesn't work out. Something's got to give."
Konzem said there's no good way to cut.
"We looked at all the options," he said. "There's no good way to do it. If you do the one-year thing, then you go through a year of turmoil. You can't recruit, and kids transfer when people know you're on the chopping block."
Konzem said that private donations wouldn't have made up the gap.
To Magallan's knowledge, there was not an alumni effort to save the program as there was for men's swimming.
"Looking, quite honestly, there wasn't enough money to sustain it on an annual basis," he said.
The men's tennis program seemed to die quietly, while the swimming alumni were boisterous in last-ditch efforts to save the program. But behind the scenes tennis supporters made moves.
John Stauffer, of Topeka, is the grandson of University donor Oscar Stauffer. John Stauffer's son David was on last year's team.
"There were some people who worked on a proposal, under the assumption that the proposal would be looked at to examine the program," Stauffer said. "It was submitted and summararily rejected.
"I don't believe they explored all options," he said. "I also believe that they waited for a crisis to act."
Stauffer said he intends to discuss men's tennis with new athletics director Alan Bohl.
If the numbers balance, the athletics department could reinstate the program. Easier said than done, Center said. "They cut the arm off." Shortened History, Southern Mination
Team records go to 1888, when the the Jayhawks played Baker in a four-year series. The team became part of the University's Athletic Association in 1903.
The men's program had eight All- Americans, eight NCAA berths including five trins to the round of 16. The team
won Big 8 titles in 1987 through 1989, then in 1994 through 1996 — then came the Texans.
The four schools from Texas increased the conference's media market and offered stiff tennis competition. Kansas dropped to sixth in 1998 and 1999, then improved to fourth in 2000 — but the budget didn't improve
Next season, eight schools in the Big 12 will have a tennis program.
Teams in warm weather climates fare considerably better than schools in colder climates.
Konzem said weather became an issue when the University entered the Big 12.
"The tennis program had not been successful until the eighties," he said. "Now they had a good run in the late eighties and early nineties. Then we were hurt by the Big 12. In our Olympic sports, weather is such a big issue. Six teams in the Big 12 clearly outstrip us in weather
"I was disappointed. I feel worse for the men that played there. For many of them, it's their last memory of team
"It's been a great experience. I love Lawrence; I love Kansas. Things went down, but things need to go on. I'm still glad I came to Kansas."
memory of team competition. Now they have no home. It's an empty feeling."
Eleazar Magallan former KU men's tennis player
Scott Perelman Former KU tennis coach
But Magallan doesn't blame it on the weather.
advantages.
"The program was really good," he said. "You don't necessarily need warm weather to sustain a team. Kansas had really good coaches."
Magallan said his time in Kansas was worth the trip in spite of the cut. The tennis team is gone; but Magallan said he may return.
it's been a great experience. I love
Diversity Mission?
experience. I love Lawrence; I love Kansas," he said. "Things went down, but things need to go on. I'm still glad I came to Kansas." Diarica: Mission?
duty of the athletics department to field a team with out-of-country student athlete
Players from across the world have come to the United States to play on college tennis teams. Konzem questioned the
Conege tennis had become an international sport. Is that the mission of the school? To field an international team?" he said. "Diversity is great, but I don't know. We ask, can we rely on high school kids from Kansas to come to our school and succeed in our sports? Can we compete in the Big 12 and NCAA?"
Stauffer said the University did have a stake in having a men's tennis team.
"Should they pursue it? Yes," he said. "It is the primary flagship university of the state. It should be the lead in academics, and all extra-curricular activities."
Perelman said former players feel abandoned
Wichita State now has the only division I team in Kansas.
"I was disappointed. I feel worse for the men that played there. For many of them, it's their last memory of team competition. Now the have no home. It's an empty feeling." he said.
It closes a chapter in KU sports history.
Hansen can be reached at 864-4810 or writer@kansan.com
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