Men's soccer available for limited time only

Simple Text By Joshua D. Scroggin

Somebody alert the U.S. Wildlife Service.

There’s a new endangered species to add to the list.

Somewhere between the American bald eagle and the manatee is the Fresno State Bulldogs men’s soccer team.

The Bulldogs are being squeezed out of their natural habitat by their number one predator—no, not man. Title IX.

The team barely survived budget cuts last spring, and if it wants to make a comeback for next year, it’ll have to support the women’s swim and dive squad so as not to anger the Title IX equality gods.

The Bulldogs are coming closer and closer to extinction as the season wears on and may be fully eradicated as soon as January. Then you’ll really be sorry.

The only way the team could be saved is if it raises enough money to support the two programs for four years—$2.7 million—by the end of the year.

“ It has to be shown in a bank somewhere or in financial agreements,” said men’s soccer coach Dave Chesler. “So that’s a pretty monumental task.”

It’s a task that’s so monumental, nobody would blame Chesler and the soccer team for mailing in the rest of the season, but that’s not what they’re doing.

“ I refer back to the commitment [the players] made. They all had the opportunity to leave,” said Chesler, who only lost one returning player from last season’s team. “That shows a lot of character. We just emphasize that on the field. Kind of a never-say-never attitude.”

Never will most likely come with the conclusion of the season.

Chesler’s main mode of fundraising is through signing up donors to the Valley Soccer Foundation (www.valleysoccerfoundation.com). Each member makes a donation to the foundation, which was organized specifically for the cause of saving the team.

The number of members needed to save the program is 3,000, and Chesler said the grand total as of Tuesday was more than 600.

Unless 2,400 Fresno soccer supporters miraculously find the will power to donate the minimum amount—or ONE of them wins the lottery—the men’s soccer program is gonzo.

After being dropped last spring, the community sprinted to its ceramic piggies and bankrolled this season, but the area’s soccer moms might be tapped out when the offering plate gets passed around the second time.

“ It’s very difficult, if not close to impossible, to replicate the initial shockwave,” Chesler said.

Even if Chesler finds himself able to turn water into dollars, the damage done to the program hurts the competitiveness of the team.

“ The impact on recruiting has not been healthy,” Chesler said. “We have three recruits that won’t even come for their visits.”

And could you blame them? Who would want to play for a program whose athletic department doesn’t care if it even exists?

Chesler cares and said if the program is dropped again he will try his best to get it reinstated—again.

“ We’re not going to go away,” Chesler said. “Soccer belongs in this community at this level.”

The Bulldogs might belong here, but so do spotted owls, and they went away.

The only difference is you won’t be able to see soccer captain Niño Rivas at the zoo—unless he’s there visiting.

— This columnist can be reached at jdscroggin@csufresno.edu