Posted: Tuesday, September 9, 2008 12:00 am
SALEM - A judge in Marion County is considering whether to hold a trial on the decision to drop men's wrestling from the University of Oregon athletics program.
Marion County Circuit Judge Lynn Ashcroft heard arguments Monday in a lawsuit filed by supporters of the former wrestling program.
He did not say when he would rule on the case.
The university dropped wrestling last year and added men's baseball and women's competitive cheer.
Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny said the move reflected the higher profile and revenue-generating potential of baseball and the declining popularity of wrestling.
Supporters of wrestling rallied to revive the program.
A son of former wrestler and writer Ken Kesey brought publicity by maneuvering a latter-day version of Kesey's famed psychedelic bus through the Eugene campus. And a fundraising campaign got under way.
The Save Oregon Wrestling Foundation joined with the group Equity in Athletics to challenge the decision in court.
They argued that the university should have followed a different process and held a hearing before deciding to drop wrestling, and that elimination of wrestling discriminated against male athletes.
Ashcroft has already denied a request from the wrestling supporters for a preliminary injunction that would have required the university to reinstate the wrestling team while the lawsuit plays out in court.
The university argues that Ashcroft should dismiss the case because wrestling supporters lack the legal standing to sue, that the statute of limitations has expired and that the athletic department has the right to terminate the sport without holding a public hearing.
Wrestling supporters have asked Ashcroft to rule in their favor without sending the case to trial.
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com