Cal Program in deficit $$$ / good article -

[NavyCrimson]

Interesting article here -

• The Cal athletic department has annual operating deficit of between $3 million and $5 million. Enhanced football revenues from an upgraded (can you say luxury boxes and club seating?) stadium provide an obvious step toward fiscal improvement.


May 22, 2005

Cal Closes in on Stadium Renovation

FROM THE LAIR OF THE GOLDEN BEARS comes word of some progress in the much-needed renovations to the school’s 82-year-old football stadium.

Charm and charisma faded away about three decades ago, and now—like Wrigley and Fenway and Soldier’s Field before it, Cal-Berkeley’s once venerable (but now just tired and decrepit) Memorial Stadium is in dire need of a face-lift.

A substandard stadium lacking in attendant peripheral facilities sufficed for the substandard teams that Cal fielded for the past couple decades.

However, über coach Jeff Tedford came aboard a few years back—along with a visionary and energetic new AD in Sandy Barbour—and now everyone in the East Bay is tripping over one another to get some money and get the stadium done.

And pronto.

But not so fast.

The many years of neglect mean that a strong dose of refurbishing is necessary.

Here’s the damage report:

• AD Barbour reports that $40 million has been raised for the athletic department's portion of funding for the stadium re-do.

• However, estimates for earlier concepts ran in the $180-$200 million range.

• A major consideration is the mandate of seismic upgrades due to the stadium’s “unfortunate” (did they know 82 years ago?) placement atop of the Hayward Fault Line.

• Cal’s facilities are lacking in several areas: meeting, locker, conditioning and training rooms. It’s tough to recruit 17 year olds on not much more than a great coach and longstanding tradition.

• Coach Tedford has a contractual escape clause—if Cal fails to make improvements—that negates the standard buy-out should he want to move to a program with a better stadium and facilities.

• The Cal athletic department has annual operating deficit of between $3 million and $5 million. Enhanced football revenues from an upgraded (can you say luxury boxes and club seating?) stadium provide an obvious step toward fiscal improvement.

Go Bears!

More later . . . . .

This 309 word summary—with accompanying commentary—was excerpted from a 711 word article from the 5-10-05 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle.

http://www.collegeathleticsclips.com/ar ... 00565.html