California Golden Blogs, a California Golden Bears community

Esquer estimates it takes between $900,000 and $1.2 million annually to run the baseball program, and that a long-term financial commitment likely must be made to keep the program intact.

"I think the main goal is to endow the program," he said. "We’ve come to the realization that we need to raise enough money to make sure this never becomes an option again."

A source at the University of California says the players have been told the baseball program is going to be eliminated.

...

UC Berkeley will eliminate its baseball, men's and women's gymnastics and women's lacrosse teams after this year and will stop fully funding the national-champion men's rugby team.

The move, announced today, is part of the school's attempt to trim a nearly $13 million athletics-department deficit. The cuts will save $4 million in 2011-12, the school said.

The decision will affect 163 athletes, and 13 coaches will lose their jobs. University leaders hope to lower the department deficit to $5 million by 2014, a number Chancellor Robert Birgeneau has called acceptable.

...

Rugby -- currently a varsity program -- will be designated a varsity club sport, meaning it will still be able to compete but will not be fully funded by the university. School officials said the program will still be allowed to use UC Berkeley facilities and services and that they were still trying to figure out the details of the transition.

BeastMode,

We are working with Comcast as we "speak", to see if they can televise the game. We hope to have an announcement (one way or the other) soon.

Thanks for your support and interest in Cal.

Go Bears!

SB