Sacramento State administrators determined Thursday afternoon that resuming the school?s intercollegiate athletic competitions this week would be inappropriate due to Tuesday?s tragedies.

President Donald Gerth?s decision to cancel football, men?s and women?s soccer, and volleyball contests came within two days after three hijacked airliners razed the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, claiming several civilian lives in the process.

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

“We (the coaches) were all totally against playing this weekend,” Colberg said. “I?m just glad we?re not playing. I just want to go home and be with my family.”

Colberg, head coach of the Hornets volleyball team, cancelled a match with Santa Clara University that was scheduled the day of the tragic events. The volleyball team?s trip to this weekend?s 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 today?s game vs. Oregon State University and Sunday?s meeting with San Jose State University.

Colberg said the volleyball tournament will not be rescheduled for another date and that possible make-up games for the women?s soccer team has yet to be decided.

On Thursday, Gerth and administrators from other universities agreed to cancel the men?s soccer game at Santa Clara University and the football team?s competition 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.”

Div. I-A college football officials of almost all major conferences also cancelled their games.

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 A.D. 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 cancelled, 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. Santa Clara is considered to be one of the top soccer programs in the nation, Linenberger said.

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

The Hornet men?s and women?s cross country teams have a bye this weekend and will compete in the Aggie Invitational in Davis.

All Sac State athletic teams have resumed practices following Tuesday?s events and will hold practices today. Athletes will have the weekend off.