BERKELEY —
The University of California, Berkeley, baseball program will continue to represent the campus as an Intercollegiate Athletics sport, now and into the future, as the result of a successful and ongoing fundraising effort on the part of alumni, former players, parents of current players and other team supporters, campus officials said today (Friday, April 8).
After a significant increase in philanthropic pledges in the last few days, commitments totaling $9 million were presented to Chancellor Robert Birgeneau yesterday by Stu Gordon, a former Golden Bear pitcher and leader of the fundraising effort. In light of the fact that the funds raised remain about 10 percent short of the previously identified $10 million goal, donors and the campus administration have agreed that the team’s formal reinstatement will be announced once the $10 million target is met through continued fundraising.
Yay! The news on men's gymnastics, not quite as good, but hopefully that'll get resolved positively, also:
While men’s gymnastics remains short of its fundraising goals, the team’s supporters, organized as "Cal Gymnastics Forever," continue to raise the funds necessary to support the team’s continuation or reinstatement. To date, philanthropic pledges have been reported to amount to just under half of the $4 million required to support the team’s net expenses over the next 7-10 years.
"We will continue to support the fundraising activities of men’s gymnastics," said Barbour. "I am certain that baseball’s success will add new momentum to the efforts, and I hope that there will be a successful outcome."