Aztec Notebook : Still No Sign of Accord Over Signs

The dispute over San Diego State’s placement of advertising signs in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium remained unsettled after a meeting Wednesday with city and Padre officials.

“We had hoped to resolve this without the attorneys,” said Jack McGrory, assistant city manager. “We weren’t able to do that. Now we’ll have to explore alternatives.”

The Padres have objected to SDSU placing signs along the sidelines and in the stands at its home football games, McGrory said. The Padres contend their lease with the city gives them exclusive rights to sell advertising signs in the stadium in exchange for the team paying for the addition of the $6 million right-field scoreboard, McGrory said.

The clause in dispute was placed in the Padres’ latest lease and also provides for the city to share in Padre-generated advertising revenue, McGrory said.

SDSU’s position is that the Padres cannot dictate such policy to other tenants in a city-owned facility, said Fred Miller, the school’s athletic director.

McGrory said he had hoped to settle the issue in a meeting with Miller and Dick Freeman, Padre executive vice president, but the meeting broke up without a settlement. McGrory said another is set for Wednesday.

SDSU was permitted, while the issue was under discussion, to display signs recognizing sponsors of its football and other athletic teams at its home opener Sept. 11 against Air Force. Miller has said that he hopes the matter will be resolved by the Aztecs’ second home game Oct. 1 against Oregon.

McGrory said the Padres objected to the general nature of the signs. He said the Padres contend that the Aztecs are only permitted to post signs promoting game-day sponsors. That would include only companies sponsoring a particular game.

SDSU has signed 17 season corporate sponsors for its athletic program, two of which are affliated with the football program. The Aztecs also have signed sponsors for each of their five home football games.

The off week was supposed to give the Aztecs time to heal a few of their wounded players, but the spirited practices of the past few days have sent several more players temporarily to the sideline.

Linebackers Lee Brannon, Kevin Maultsby and Milt Maples were the latest casualites. Brannon reaggravated his right rotator cuff, an injury that has bothered him since early in preseason practice. Maultsby and Maples pinched nerves in their necks.

They are joined on the injury list by linebacker Tracey Mao, who pinched a nerve in practice Tuesday; defensive end Milt Wilson, who sprained an ankle against Air Force, and outside linebacker John Wesselman, who bruised a thigh Saturday against Stanford.

All will be held out of practice today but are expected to be ready to play against Oregon, said trainer Don Kaverman.

Aztec Notes

The punting job is open again, Coach Denny Stolz said. Bill Kushner, a freshman from Fallbrook High School, has averaged 35.4 yards in three games. He is being challenged by Joe Santos, a junior transfer from Contra Costa College who has been slowed by a pulled leg muscle. Stolz said he would be happy if his punter could average 35-38 yards per kick but is more concerned about the poor hang time. Both players punted erratically in an extended session at the end of practice Wednesday. . . The experiment of moving offensive tackle Chuck Hardaway to the defensive line apparently is over, Stolz said. Stolz said the expected return of Milt Wilson and the ability of Brad Burton to play despite a compound dislocation of his index finger have lessened the need for more depth on the defensive line.