Sporting events were measly afterthoughts in the minds of most Americans last week, and such was the case with the Sacramento State athletic program.

Sac State administrators determined Wednesday and Thursday that resuming the school?s intercollegiate athletic competitions last week would have been inappropriate due to last Tuesday?s tragedies in New York and Washington.

President Donald Gerth, other conference presidents and Big Sky Chair of the President?s Council Stephen Jordan agreed to cancel ? and in some cases postpone ? football, volleyball, men?s and women?s soccer, and cross country competitions.

The decision came two days after two hijacked airliners razed the World Trade Center, another damaging a third of the Pentagon, claiming thousands of civilians? lives in the process.

“I have been opposed to (going forward with athletic competitions) ever since Wednesday,” Gerth said. “But I don?t want to make a big deal out of it. I think the real fundamental issue was ? it just was not the time for lots of things, including intercollegiate athletic events.”

Sac State coaches and athletic director Debby Colberg supported Gerth?s stance.

“We (the coaches) were all totally against playing this weekend,” Colberg said after running her volleyball team?s practice Thursday afternoon. “I?m just glad we?re not playing. I want to go home and be with my family.”

With several airports closed, Gerth said travel issues were among the concerns.

“It certainly was a factor,” he said. “All of the teams in the conference lost their airline travel and that hurt Montana State University the worst. Their football team was going to have to travel a day-and-a-half to close to two days by bus (to Corvallis, Ore. to face Oregon State University). Our team would have had a day?s bus trip.”

The volleyball team had a match with Santa Clara University scheduled the day of the tragic event. The volleyball team?s trip this past weekend to the Indiana Volleyball Tournament in Bloomington, Ind. was also called off.

The women?s soccer team had a contest Tuesday afternoon as well. Its home match up with San Francisco University was aborted, as were Friday?s game versus Oregon State University and Sunday?s meeting with San Jose State University.

Colberg said that the volleyball tournament in Indiana will not be rescheduled and that possible make-up games for the women?s soccer team have yet to be decided. Colberg added that her team plans on facing Santa Clara University before season?s end.

On Thursday, Gerth and administrators from other universities agreed to cancel the Hornets men?s soccer game at Santa Clara University and the football team?s game at Portland State University. Both contests were slated for Saturday evening.

“It was the right thing to do,” Sac State head football coach John Volek said. “We?re Americans first and Hornets second. Dr. Gerth made the right decision. We?ve been totally behind the administration.”

The decision to cancel the football game was the toughest to make, Colberg said, because Saturday marked the first day of Big Sky Conference play.

The contest was to be televised on UPN-31.

“Other games were pretty easy to cancel because they were all non-conference,” Colberg said. “But (Thursday) afternoon, the entire Big Sky decided to cancel all games because it looked like people nationwide weren?t going to hold sporting events.”

Last Wednesday, most NCAA Div. I-A and I-AA football games were going to be played but conference officials, including Jordan, reversed the initial decision a day later.Volek noted that the Sac State-Portland State meeting could be rescheduled, but the decision is not up to him.

“I?ll let the administration handle it,” Volek said. “I?ll leave it up to the (athletic director) and the president. Personally, I think that Portland State-Sacramento State should be an end-of-the-year game anyways because they?re one of our main rivals. There?s history there.”

Men?s soccer coach Michael Linenberger expressed some disappointment that his club?s game with Santa Clara was canceled but was quick to put the situation in perspective.

“Unfortunately these things happen. It?s out of our control,” he said. “Sometimes things are more important than having a good crowd in a soccer match.”

Linenberger added that Saturday?s game was likely to draw more than 2,000 people. The Broncos are ranked No. 23 in the NCAA.

“Most people think that it?s a little bit too early to start competing in athletic contests,” Linenberger said. “You?re going to see more days for reflection amd remembrance of all the victims in the tragedy.”

The Sac State and Santa Clara men?s soccer teams rescheduled their match for Oct. 30.

The Hornets men?s and women?s cross country teams had a bye this past weekend and will compete in the Aggie Invitational this weekend.

At press time, all of Sac State?s athletic teams were all expected to resume their schedules this week.