Matadors To Get New Look but at What Cost to School?

After recently dropping four men’s sports partly for financial reasons, Cal State Northridge athletic officials are being pressed to explain how the school can afford to pay a New York company to redesign the Matador logo.

Northridge contracted SME Design Inc., which has created logos for several college and professional teams, to modernize the Matador symbol the school first started using in the 1990-91 school year.

Paul Bubb, Northridge’s director of athletics, said the job will be paid with sponsorship funds and private contributions. He said SME typically charges from about $15,000 to $88,000 for that type of work and, although he won’t know the final bill for a while, Northridge’s cost will be on the lower end of the scale.

Bubb said the complete logo will be unveiled at the homecoming football game against Sacramento State on Oct. 25. Until then, the Matadors will wear a “secondary mark,” on their helmets--a portion of what eventually will be the complete logo.

“Once we unveil it . . . I’d be happy to share the final cost,” Bubb said.

Northridge eliminated baseball, swimming, volleyball and soccer in June for financial reasons and to help the school move toward meeting sports gender-equity requirements. The sports later were reinstated for one year.

“[The logo redesign] goes back to before we even dropped the sports,” Bubb said.

Coach Jim Fenwick is looking for yet another one of his former players at Valley College to shore up the defensive line.

Fenwick learned Thursday that defensive end Jerome Elliot, a redshirt at Minnesota last season, was granted a release and is planning to transfer to Northridge as early as next week.

Elliott played for Fenwick at Valley in 1995. He graduated from San Fernando High.

“He’ll be coming home when he gets his things in order,” Fenwick said.

Senior wide receiver Jerome Henry, an All-Big Sky Conference selection last season, sat out the two practices on Thursday because of a bruise on his right shin suffered Wednesday. Henry is expected to practice today.