The Ultimate Frisbee Team appealed a one-year suspension by the Club Sports Advisory Council, implemented after damages were incurred to State College fields during a Frisbee tournament.
Club Sports Coordinator Erin Regenfuss said Centre Region Parks and Recreation and State College Area School District fields were "unusable and unsafe" after the Ultimate Frisbee Team's "Spring Phling" tournament April 2 and 3.
Men's team captain Paul Butterfoss said this is the first offense the team has committed in its 30-year history, a factor he thinks should be considered by the advisory council.
He added that the team used discretion and canceled most of its tournament when the field became damaged after inclement weather.
The sanctions were imposed after Parks and Recreation Director Ron Woodhead complained to Regenfuss about damages to fields used for the tournament.
Regenfuss also received forwarded e-mails from residents of the area who compared the early-morning noise at the tournament to "the sound at the 50-yard line at Beaver stadium on a game day."
The advisory council suspended the team on April 13, and the suspension is effective though May 6, 2006.
The council also recommended that the team reimburse the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics for the cost of repairing the fields, perform mandatory community service to benefit groups affected by the damages and send apology letters to the school district and Parks and Recreation.
The suspension period could be longer if the team does not engage in an appropriate amount of community service, Regenfuss said.
The team submitted its letter of appeal yesterday.
Butterfoss said that, in addition to the fact that it is the team's first offense in 30 years, team leaders are concerned that most of its current leadership will graduate before the suspension ends, which may affect interest in continuing the club.
"We believe the [suspension] decision was arbitrary, subjective and tyrannical," he said.
Butterfoss added that the team is willing to adhere to all sanctions, including paying for the repairs.
Regenfuss estimated the damages at about $900 per acre -- about $4,950 -- to repair the five-and-a-half acres of Parks and Recreation fields. Regenfuss said the damages to the school district fields are still unknown.
"It has impacted the image of Penn State and the relationship between the community and Penn State," he said. "It has potential ramifications for other sport organizations who may legitimately seek permission to use those other fields."
Penn State Sports Information Director Jeff Nelson said the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Judicial Affairs and the Office of Unions and Student Activities were supportive of the advisory council's recommendations.
A three-person panel will convene today to review the letter of appeal and will either decide to uphold the sanctions or, if there is enough new information presented, to hold a new advisory council meeting to rehear the case, Regenfuss said.
