Ventura to Reinstate Men’s Basketball

The Ventura College men’s basketball program, under suspension for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons, will resume competition beginning in the fall of 1999, Ventura President Larry Calderon announced Monday.

Ventura disbanded the program last November, a month after the Pirates were placed on probation for two years and banned from postseason play by the Western State Conference. The sanctions were imposed after Ventura was found to have violated several state rules, including providing players with money, free or reduced-rate meals and access to campus telephones, facilities and vehicles.

A national search will be conducted starting early in 1999 to hire a head coach.

Soccer incident: Cal State Northridge is investigating a reported confrontation between women’s soccer Coach Brian Wiesner and assistant coach Allison Lee.

Paul Bubb, Northridge’s athletic director, said Monday the school was “conducting a review of an incident that happened a week and a half ago”--at halftime of an Oct. 24 game at Idaho State.

Bubb said he has taken written statements from Wiesner and Lee. Julia Donley, an administrative analyst in the school’s Faculty Affairs Office, said she was not aware of a formal complaint made by either coach.

Wiesner described the incident as “an individual difference.” He declined further comment. Lee said she was surprised details had been made public.

Lee has been an assistant to Wiesner for five seasons, the last four at Northridge. She also played four seasons for Wiesner at Cal Poly Pomona, where she was an assistant for a year.