No Home: ‘No’ to ASI Rec Center

Pauley Pavilion, Cameron Indoor Stadium and Maples Pavilion have something in common.

These buildings host former NCAA basketball championship teams.

Sac State has no home floor, and consequently, no championship.

There is no guarantee that if the Hornets had a home court they would be a huge part of March Madness. But how can a basketball program improve if they play in Memorial Auditorium, and hold a maximum of three practices there in the preseason?

A team cannot be successful if its initial steps on the home hardwood are the first half of their home opener. Sac State takes away the home advantage from its own team, and then complains about a 3-23 record.

If the Hornets had a place to play, they would have a place to win. The problem does not lie in the Athletic Department, but in the highly political administration hierarchy and misguided student organizations. Forget about the administration, they’ve already sold out the basketball program — it is up to the students.

Meet ASI.

Associated Students, Incorporated is the most influential and financially powerful student organization on campus. They exist to represent the student body.

Students pay $97 each year in fees to ASI and they are a valuable resource for scholarships and other necessities.

But ...

Currently, Sac State students are represented by an ASI version of kindergarten class whose main project is playing politics between afternoon snack and naptime.

The pet project of ASI President Geoff Sakala is a new, multi-million dollar student recreation center that would house a fitness center, sport courts, a pool and other areas for student athletic participation.

The pet project of most other ASI-ites is booting Sakala.

I had originally supported a Rec Center on campus — I am for anything that gets students off their butts — however I don’t support an ultimate increase of $99 dollars in added semester fees for a facility I will never use.

The basketball team is homeless.

The Sakala Administration argues that a Rec Center would provide a healthy and social environment for students, which is probably true, but the students ASI are representing are future students who are busy cramming for the learner’s permit test, that is if they are out of junior high.

They also contend that it would help to recruit students. With the largest freshmen class in school history joining us this year, recruitment is not a problem. Parking is.

The basketball team is homeless.

Forget about a Rec Center, forget about 20-and 21-year-olds playing make-believe politics and forget about more students.

The Hornets need a place to play.

Sacramento lacks a midsize arena. This is a perfect opportunity for Sac State to become a larger part of the community. Building a Hornet Arena just makes sense. Harrold Pressley, formerly of the Sacramento Kings, spoke at the Hornet Tip-off Dinner and said that walking into an arena where the fans are chanting “Hornets, Hornets,” is what life is all about.

How can anybody disagree?

High schools all over the country have home courts with marquees of rosters hanging on the walls, skirted by trophy cases and banners. These gyms exude the varsity tradition and carry the name of the school. Feel Hornet pride.

Sac State is a four-year, competitive university that sports record-setting athletes and dominating athletic programs.

The basketball team is homeless.

Hornet pride cannot come alive, if there is nowhere to thrive.