Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for reforms at Cal State following NCAA sanctions at CSUN

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday called on California State University schools to reform their athletic departments two days after the NCAA penalized Cal State Northridge for academic fraud.

Newsom called the sanctions “a wakeup call.”

In report made public Wednesday, the NCAA found that a men’s basketball staffer had completed coursework for 10 athletes. The NCAA placed CSUN on three years’ probation, among other penalties.

In a letter to Cal State Chancellor Tim White, Newsom wrote, “CSU’s student-athletes are offered an education in return for physical and career sacrifices, to the financial benefit of the schools they represent and the spirit of community identity that their dedication fosters. The troubling data suggests that some public CSU campuses are failing to uphold their end of the deal.”

Newsom introduced a plan to increase graduation rates at UC system schools earlier this year.

Citing CSUN’s sanctions, as well as academic underachievement among CSU basketball and football programs, Newsom called on CSU to review its athletic programs and implement similar reforms.

zach.helfand@latimes.com