Associated Students Inc. and the Sacramento State Athletic Department are in the final stages of negotiation for a new athletic contract.

The contract will be discussed at a final athletics task force meeting at 3 p.m. April 10. ASI President Angel Barajas set up the task force after learning from the California State University’s Chancellor’s office that the current contract between ASI and athletics had expired in 1999.

Barajas and Sac State athletic director Terry Wanless said a lack of communication has existed between ASI and athletics in the past.

They say one reason for the this problem has been because a new ASI president is named each year and Wanless is only his third year at Sac State.

ASI is requesting more accountability and more reports from the Athletics Department, said Barajas.

The $2.8 million student contract is analyzed and updated every year to make sure all of the money directed to the Athletics Department is accounted for.

Currently, the athletics department receives $56.25 from every student each semester, Barajas said. This money comes from tuition fees.

Wanless would not go into details about the contract since it is still under negotiations.”The meetings are not about the fees,” Wanless said. “The contract just needs updating.” Barajas said the main concerns are gender equity in sports and the athletes’ grades.

The student-athletes’ grades are especially important this year since the NCAA took away four athletic scholarships from Sac State on March 1 because of low academic progress rate scores.Barajas said the contract should be finalized by April 19, when it will be presented to the CSU Board of Directors.

Jamie Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]