May 2, 2007
The athletic department plans to address Amber Simmons' list of proposed transfer schools within the next 48 hours, said Chico State President Paul Zingg.Last week, Simmons' attorney sent Athletic Director Anita Barker a list of seven schools Simmons is interested in playing for during her final year of eligibility.
The seven schools are Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, Seattle Pacific, University of the Pacific, Cal State Bakersfield, Humboldt State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Chico State has no problems with four of the universities, but the others are not an option, Zingg said.
He cited NCAA and conference rules that allow athletic departments to stop athletes from transferring to schools in the same conference or those that have made contact with the player without the current university's permission.
Zingg said the university wants Simmons to be happy but that it must also protect itself.
"I'm not going to allow the university to be used and abused by someone who thinks they can come in here and take one of our student athletes," he said.
Zingg would not say which university Simmons had made contact with, but he alluded to which it could be.
"I'll let you put two and two together," he said.
If a coach leaves one school for another, he or she forfeits the right to make contact with players from his or her former team without university permission, Zingg said.
After leading last year's women's basketball team to Chico State's first Final Four appearance, coach Lynne Roberts left for a job at Division I University of the Pacific.
Simmons said she has spoken with Roberts since she left, but the conversation had nothing to do with basketball and has been entirely personal.
"They're refusing to recognize the relationship we had when she was the coach," she said.
Simmons wants to make it clear that she is not leaving to play for her old coach, she said.
"Everyone needs to stop assuming I'm leaving to just go to UOP," she said. "Molly is a disrespectful, horrible coach, and that's why I want to leave."
Simmons is waiting to see what schools Chico State will release her to, and she will appeal the decision if she is not satisfied with the choices, she said.
When asked what her No. 1 choice was, she did not show a preference.
"Anywhere but Chico State."
Chelsea Accursi can be reached at sportseditor@theorion.com
Ashley Gebb can be reached at agebb@theorion.com
Ryan Klocke can be reached at rklocke@theorion.com
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See these related articles:
- Department grants contact to five of Simmons' transfer schools
- Player hires attorney Read what our assistant sports editor thinks of the situation:
- Who's on first: Ryan Klocke
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